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250 Cities in the United States Everyone Should Know

Many famous towns and cities reside in the United States. Can you name 250 cities that people should know in the United States?
This is not a definitive list
Quiz by UG332
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Last updated: November 19, 2021
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First submittedNovember 19, 2021
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State
Population
Description
City
NY
8,804,190
Home to the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, Empire State Building, etc.
New York City
CA
3,898,747
The second-largest city in the nation, center of the nation's film industry
Los Angeles
IL
2,746,388
"The Windy City"
Chicago
TX
2,304,580
Mission control of NASA
Houston
AZ
1,608,139
Capital of Arizona with a sprawling metro known as Valley of the Sun
Phoenix
PA
1,603,797
Home of the Liberty Bell and Deceleration of Independence
Philadelphia
TX
1,434,625
Home of the Alamo
San Antonio
CA
1,386,932
Home to many famous zoos and borders Tijuana, Mexico
San Diego
TX
1,304,379
Principle city in the DFW metroplex where JFK was assassinated
Dallas
CA
1,013,240
Center of Silicon Valley in the Bay Area
San Jose
TX
961,855
State capital of Texas which hosts great live music venues
Austin
FL
949,611
Largest city in Florida on the banks of the St. Johns River
Jacksonville
TX
918,915
Twin city in the DFW metroplex at the end of Chisholm Trail
Fort Worth
OH
905,748
Capital and largest city in Ohio
Columbus
IN
887,642
"Crossroads of America"
Indianapolis
NC
874,579
Home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Charlotte
CA
873,965
The financial center of California and home to the Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco
WA
737,015
Hometown of Starbucks, the Space Needle & Microsoft
Seattle
CO
715,522
"Mile High City"
Denver
DC
692,683
Location of the White House and the Pentagon
Washington
TN
689,447
Home of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry House
Nashville
OK
681,054
Largest city in the Great Plains and site of the 1995 bombing
Oklahoma City
TX
678,815
Borders Juarez Mexico and is known as "Sun City"
El Paso
MA
675,647
Home to a famous marathon, tea party, and Fenway Park
Boston
OR
652,503
Largest city in Oregon known as a bastion of counter-culture
Portland
NV
641,903
"Sin City"
Las Vegas
MI
639,111
"Motor City"
Detroit
TN
633,104
Home of blues, birthplace of rock 'n' roll, gospel, jazz, R&B, rap & soul
Memphis
KY
633,045
The namesake of a baseball bat and home to the Kentucky Derby
Louisville
MD
585,708
Has the most buildings designated in the National Register & where Star-Spangled Banner was written
Baltimore
WI
577,222
Known for its beer breweries and the Harley-Davidson Museum
Milwaukee
NM
564,559
This city center contrasts with historic adobe buildings and modern high rises
Albuquerque
AZ
542,629
Second largest city in Arizona known as "The Old Pueblo"
Tucson
CA
542,107
Around the center of California with an underground garden
Fresno
CA
524,943
Gold rush city and capital of California
Sacramento
MO
508,090
Known for the historic Jazz District and called the "Barbecue Capital"
Kansas City
GA
498,715
Hometown of Piedmont Park, Coca-Cola & CNN
Atlanta
NE
486,051
Known for a famous steakhouse and the headquarters of Berkshire Hathaway
Omaha
CO
478,961
Near Pikes Peak and home of the US Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs
NC
467,665
Center of the Research Triangle and capital of North Carolina
Raleigh
CA
466,742
Has the second busiest port in the USA over an oilfield
Long Beach
VA
459,470
Where the remains of Jamestown is located
Virginia Beach
FL
442,241
Known for its beaches and Cuban culture
Miami
CA
440,646
Twin city in the Bay Area home to Jack London Square
Oakland
MN
429,954
Twin City where the George Floyd protests started
Minneapolis
OK
413,066
Used to be the "Oil Capital of the World" in the 20th century
Tulsa
CA
403,455
This city situated along Kern River grew rapidly from Dust Bowl refugees
Bakersfield
KS
397,532
Largest city in Kansas known as "Cowtown"
Wichita
FL
384,959
Major city on a bay of the same name home of Ybor City
Tampa
LA
383,997
Melting pot of French, African and American cultured city where Mardi Gras takes place
New Orleans
OH
372,624
Location of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and river that commonly set on fire
Cleveland
HI
350,964
Home to top surfing destinations and Pearl Harbor
Honolulu
CA
346,824
Home of Disneyland Resort
Anaheim
KY
322,570
Known for its horse farms & racetracks like Keeneland
Lexington
CA
320,804
Home of the University of the Pacific, the oldest university in California
Stockton
TX
317,863
Largest coastal city in Texas known for its high wind speeds
Corpus Christi
CA
314,998
Principal city of the Inland Empire metropolitan area
Riverside
NJ
311,549
Has the largest collection of cherry blossom trees in the nation
Newark
MN
311,527
Twin City and capital of Minnesota
St. Paul
OH
309,317
City founded in 1788 that is home to the first baseball team in America
Cincinnati
FL
307,573
Lays fame to many theme parks like Walt Disney World
Orlando
PA
302,971
"Steel City"
Pittsburgh
MO
301,578
Location of the Gateway Arch giving the nickname "Gateway to the West"
St. Louis
NC
299,035
Used to be one of the only textile towns in the South, now the third largest metro in the state
Greensboro
NJ
292,449
City that surrounds the Statue of Liberty
Jersey City
AK
291,247
Largest city in Alaska, 10 hours away from 90% of the industrial world
Anchorage
NE
291,082
State capital of Nebraska
Lincoln
NY
278,349
Terminus of the Erie Canal & close to the Niagara Falls
Buffalo
OH
270,871
The "Glass City" was fought over between Michigan and Ohio
Toledo
WI
269,840
Capital of Wisconsin with a lakefront convention center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Madison
NV
264,165
"The Biggest Little City in the World"
Reno
IN
263,886
Second largest city in Indiana that grew exponentially after the Wabash and Erie canals were completed
Fort Wayne
FL
258,308
Known as the "Sunshine City"
St. Petersburg
TX
257,141
Birthplace of Buddy Holly and home of the Texas Walk of Fame
Lubbock
TX
255,205
Largest inland port of entry in the USA
Laredo
VA
238,005
Central city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area with the largest naval base in the world
Norfolk
ID
235,684
Principal city of Treasure Valley and capital of Idaho
Boise
WA
228,989
Home of Gonzaga thats characterized with a romanesque skyline and Riverfront Park
Spokane
LA
227,470
Louisiana capital where the USS Kidd resides
Baton Rouge
VA
226,610
Capital of Virginia and former capital of the Confederate States
Richmond
WA
219,346
Home of the infamous "Galloping Gertie" bridge
Tacoma
AL
215,006
Largest city in Alabama and the original capital in the state
Huntsville
IA
214,133
Capital of Iowa thats a major center of the insurance industry
Des Moines
NY
211,328
Birthplace of the Kodak and Xerox companies
Rochester
MA
206,518
Second largest city in Massachusetts that has the oldest catholic institution in New England
Worcester
AR
202,591
Capital and largest city in Arkansas almost directly in the center of the state
Little Rock
GA
202,081
City on the South Carolina border known for its golf courses
Augusta
AL
200,733
Birthplace of the Veteran's Day and largest metro in Alabama
Birmingham
AL
200,603
Where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat
Montgomery
TX
200,509
Largest city in the Texas Panhandle and popular stop along Route 66
Amarillo
UT
199,723
Winter Olympics city founded by Brigham Young
Salt Lake City
MI
198,917
In the top five cities in the world for its furniture production
Grand Rapids
FL
196,169
Capital of Florida
Tallahassee
SD
192,517
Nicknamed, "Queen City", it was one of the most famous places to be divorced in the United States
Sioux Falls
RI
190,934
Capital of Rhode Island founded by Roger Williams
Providence
TN
190,740
Known as the "Marble City" and where James White's Fort is located
Knoxville
OH
190,469
Former headquarters of Firestone, Goodrich & Goodyear that gave it the name "Rubber Capital of the World"
Akron
LA
187,593
Commercial and cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex region
Shreveport
AL
187,041
City owned by the French, British and Spanish and original capital of Louisiana
Mobile
TN
181,099
"Choo Choo"
Chattanooga
OR
176,654
Hipster city at the south end of Willamette Valley
Eugene
OR
175,535
Capital city of Oregon nicknamed the "Cherry City"
Salem
CO
169,810
Northern Colorado city home of Horsetooth Falls
Fort Collins
MO
169,176
"Queen City" of the Ozarks
Springfield
VA
159,467
George Washington's hometown along the Potomac River
Alexandria
MS
153,701
Capital and largest city of Mississippi
Jackson
WA
151,854
Suburban city where Amazon was founded
Bellevue
SC
150,227
Where the first shots of the Civil War were fired
Charleston
IL
148,655
Nicknamed the "Forest City" and notable for its output of heavy machinery and hardware
Rockford
NY
148,620
Named after an ancient Greek city
Syracuse
GA
147,780
The original settlement in Georgia
Savannah
SC
136,632
Capital of South Carolina nicknamed "Soda City"
Columbia
CT
134,023
Home to Yale University
New Haven
GA
127,315
Known as the "Classic City", home to the University of Georgia
Athens
KS
126,587
Capital of Kansas where racial segregation in public schools were declared unconstitutional
Topeka
ND
125,990
Shares the name of a famous movie and financial services company
Fargo
PA
125,845
Billy Joel sang about the hardships in this city
Allentown
CA
124,321
Birthplace of the 1960's Free Speech Movement
Berkeley
MI
123,851
Home of the University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
LA
121,374
Known as the "Heart of Cajun & Creole"
Lafayette
CT
121,054
Home to the Mark Twain House & Museum
Hartford
MA
118,403
Home to Harvard University
Cambridge
MT
117,116
"Magic City"
Billings
NH
115,644
Largest city in New Hampshire named after the first industrialized city in the world
Manchester
MA
115,554
Famous for its "Mill Girls" in the Industrial Revolution
Lowell
TX
115,282
City founded through Spindletop Oil Field
Beaumont
UT
115,162
Home of BYU and a tall peak of the same name
Provo
IL
114,394
State capital of Illinois location of Abraham Lincoln's restored home
Springfield
IL
113,150
Largest city on the Illinois River with a famous riverfront
Peoria
MI
112,644
Capital of Michigan known as "L-Town"
Lansing
WA
110,629
Puget Sound city home to the largest building in the world by volume
Everett
CO
108,250
Home of the University of Colorado
Boulder
WI
107,395
Smallest city with a major sports team
Green Bay
CA
107,337
Home of Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Studio
Burbank
IN
103,453
Known for the demise of the Studebaker plant
South Bend
IA
101,724
Largest of the Quad Cities metropolitan area
Davenport
MA
101,079
Has a high concentration of Portuguese Americans and setting of Moby Dick
New Bedford
WI
99,986
Bedroom community for two major cities home to many colleges
Kenosha
NY
99,224
State capital home to the Empire State Plaza
Albany
AZ
95,548
City on the Colorado River that conserves a wild west era prison
Yuma
UT
95,342
In close proximity to Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks
St. George
KS
94,934
Anti-slavery city that was sacked that kick started Bleeding Kansas
Lawrence
PA
94,831
Named for a Great Lake and nicknamed the "Flagship City"
Erie
NC
94,589
City nested in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Asheville
AR
93,949
"Athens of the Ozarks" and principal city in the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area
Fayetteville
CA
93,611
Home to Sundial Bridge and near Shasta State Historic Park
Redding
NJ
90,871
Capital of New Jersey known for a famous steel company
Trenton
MN
89,987
Suburban city home to the Mall of America
Bloomington
CA
88,665
City with the Santa Ynez mountains in the background and a Mediterranean-style downtown
Santa Barbara
IL
88,302
Home to the University of Illinois
Champaign
NM
87,505
Capital of New Mexico full of Pueblo-style architecture
Santa Fe
MN
86,697
Known for the Aerial Lift Bridge and the Minnesota Point
Duluth
OR
85,824
Largest city in southern Oregon
Medford
MI
81,252
Nobody drunk the water here from 2014 to 2019
Flint
CA
79,246
City centered in a wine region of the same name
Napa
AZ
76,831
Surrounded by ponderosa forests and Humphrey's Peak
Flagstaff
PA
76,328
Industrial city known for the show, "The Office"
Scranton
IA
74,828
Original capital of Iowa home to the University of Iowa
Iowa City
SD
74,703
City close to Mount Rushmore and Black Hills National Forest
Rapid City
ND
73,622
Capital city of North Dakota and location of the state's tallest building
Bismarck
MS
72,926
Largest coastal city and second largest in Mississippi
Gulfport
MO
72,473
Starting point of the Pony Express
St. Joseph
NJ
71,791
Its police force was abolished in 2012 and replaced with the county police
Camden
DE
70,898
Cultural and economic hub of Delaware
Wilmington
SC
70,720
Rapidly growing city in the center of the Upstate region
Greenville
WI
69,421
Translates to "Clear Water" in French
Eau Claire
IN
69,093
Used to be the largest company city in the nation and birthplace of the Jackson Family
Gary
CA
68,572
Home of Stanford University and Headquarters of Tesla & Skype
Palo Alto
ME
68,408
Center of gentrification and second largest port in New England
Portland
CO
65,560
Largest city in Western Colorado surrounded with canyons and monoliths
Grand Junction
NY
65,283
City that was nicknamed "Sin City" due to its organized crime and corruption
Utica
WY
65,132
Capital city of Wyoming founded on the Fourth of July
Cheyenne
NJ
60,419
Birthplace of baseball and Frank Sinatra
Hoboken
KY
60,183
Located on the Ohio River and a self-proclaimed BBQ capital of the world
Owensboro
OH
60,068
Rapidly recovering steel city
Youngstown
IA
59,667
Iowa's oldest city situated on the Mississippi River
Dubuque
NV
58,639
Capital of Nevada bordering Lake Tahoe
Carson City
PA
58,039
Known for its large amount of Amish population
Lancaster
WA
55,605
State capital of Washington State
Olympia
ID
54,628
Known for a resort of the same name
Coeur d'Alene
AR
54,164
Birthplace of Walmart
Bentonville
TX
53,695
City of the Gulf Coast of Texas that has been ravaged by hurricanes
Galveston
TX
51,898
City founded by 3 duck hunters that suffered a major explosion in 1947
Texas City
MO
51,762
Hub of southwest Missouri thats the lead and zinc capital of the world
Joplin
PA
50,099
Capital of Pennsylvania that played a major role in Westward Expansion, the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution
Harrisburg
MS
49,449
City along the Gulf of Mexico that is known for its lighthouse and casinos
Biloxi
WV
48,864
Capital of West Virginia
Charleston
NM
48,422
An alleged UFO crashed here in 1947
Roswell
VA
46,553
Home of Monticello & James Monroe's home, Highland
Charlottesville
VT
44,743
Became the first city in the US to run entirely on renewable energy
Burlington
IN
44,595
City home to Purdue University that is twinned with a larger city without a cardinal name
West Lafayette
MN
44,505
Largest city in Western Minnesota twinned with a city across the border
Moorhead
MA
44,480
Known for its witch trials
Salem
MI
44,202
Famous inlet of Lake Huron and former thriving lumber town
Saginaw
NH
43,976
State capital of New Hampshire
Concord
MO
43,228
State capital known for the Missouri State Prison
Jefferson City
MD
40,812
Capital of Maryland, nicknamed the "Sailing Capital of the World"
Annapolis
DE
39,403
Capital of Delaware
Dover
NJ
38,497
Home of the Miss America pageant and inspired the famous board game, Monopoly
Atlantic City
IL
38,336
A "Free Library" was founded in 1874 named for the city
Urbana
MS
37,923
Hometown of Elvis Presley
Tupelo
ME
37,121
Home to the largest French speaking population in the nation
Lewiston
SC
35,682
Hub of the Grand Strand and vacation resort
Myrtle Beach
MI
34,378
Tulips bloom in this town with the Big Red Lighthouse
Holland
VA
33,458
Historically large industrial city of the South
Petersburg
LA
33,334
Known for its Cajun culture and dance halls
Houma
CA
32,701
Home of the rich and famous
Beverly Hills
AK
32,515
Home to the University of Alaska
Fairbanks
AK
32,255
Isolated capital of Alaska
Juneau
NC
31,291
Original capital of North Carolina and the birthplace of Pepsi
New Bern
CA
30,218
Home to Cannery Row and a famous Aquarium
Monterey
KY
28,602
Capital of Kentucky
Frankfort
NY
28,491
"Queen of the Spas"
Saratoga Springs
KS
27,788
Famous as a wild frontier town of the Old West
Dodge City
WV
27,052
Original capital of West Virginia known as the "nail capital of the world"
Wheeling
CA
26,512
Heart of Redwood Coast, where the world's tallest trees are
Eureka
FL
26,444
Florida's southernmost point known for its conch-styled homes and coral reefs
Key West
RI
25,163
City located on Aquidneck Island known for Gilded Age mansions
Newport
NH
21,956
Oldest city in New Hampshire founded in 1623
Portsmouth
MS
21,573
Site of an important siege for the Union troops in the Civil War
Vicksburg
MI
20,629
Major port for shipping iron ore located in the Upper Peninsula
Marquette
CO
20,399
Former capital of Colorado and location of Coors Brewing Company
Golden
MN
19,394
Considered the birthplace of Minnesota
Stillwater
FL
19,115
Known for its high end shopping and pier of the same name
Naples
PA
18,411
Thriving industrial city until a dam bursted here in 1889
Johnstown
AL
17,791
Starting city of the voting rights movement that marched to the capital in 1965
Selma
VA
15,425
Known as the premier center of American colonial history
Williamsburg
GA
15,210
Its port handles 10% of all U.S. roll on/off trade, third in the USA
Brunswick
NV
14,885
Lake Mead and Hoover Dam serve as major tourist attractions
Boulder City
NE
14,436
Largest city on the Nebraska Panhandle, served as a mounument on the Oregon Trail
Scottsbluff
FL
14,329
Oldest city in the nation
St. Augustine
SD
14,091
Second smallest state capital in the United States
Pierre
SC
13,607
Located on Port Royal Island with historic antebellum buildings
Beaufort
KY
13,567
Renowned for its world famous Bourbon
Bardstown
MO
12,638
Ozark town known for its entertainment on 76 Country Boulevard
Branson
KS
10,885
Birthplace of Amelia Earhart with paranormal activity
Atchison
OR
10,181
Oldest city in Oregon founded by a fort
Astoria
AZ
9,684
Town surrounded by buttes and Red Rock State Park
Sedona
AK
8,458
Originally called "New Archangel" and original capital of Alaska Territory
Sitka
VT
8,074
Least populous state capital in the nation
Montpelier
MA
7,667
Site of the first Pilgrim settlement and site of the Mayflower II
Plymouth
NC
7,656
Where the first flight was taken in the world
Kill Devil Hills
LA
7,513
"Crawfish Capital of the World"
Breaux Bridge
ME
7,396
Once was the largest potato shipping hub in the world
Caribou
CO
7,004
Year-round ski resort town in the Rocky Mountains
Aspen
NM
6,474
Home to a world heritige site thats been inhabited by Native Americans for centuries
Taos
UT
5,366
Town situated around Arches National Park
Moab
AK
4,927
Northernmost city in the United States
Utqiagvik
TN
3,577
Resort town referred to as the "Gateway to the Smoky Mountains"
Gatlinburg
WV
269
John Brown raided this place in 1859
Harper's Ferry
10 Comments
+3
Level 66
Oct 26, 2022
Great quiz, Should be featured!
+2
Level 65
Dec 21, 2022
great quiz! Any particular reason not to include Helena, the capital of Montana, where all other capitals seems to be represented?
+1
Level 69
Dec 22, 2022
I wasn't actually going for every capital. It just ended up that way. Now that you mention it, it seems weird not to include Helena
+1
Level 60
Dec 21, 2022
I’d include Medina, Monowi, and Helena, but yeah nice list. Glad to see my city is here.
+1
Level 76
Dec 21, 2022
Not sure about Monowi… it's more of a novelty than significant town. Same with Helena… not much of importance besides the state capitol. Definitely Medina though.
+2
Level 80
Nov 19, 2024
No Carmel aka "Roundabout capital of the world?" 😢😢😢 clearly one of the most important US cities
+1
Level 69
Nov 19, 2024
So true!
+1
Level 55
Nov 19, 2024
Every American should know*
+2
Level 75
Nov 19, 2024
I think everyone should strive to be knowledgeable about all parts of the world no matter where you're from
+2
Level 76
Nov 19, 2024
Accept DC?