# Corp. Limit ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714 "2003-07-07T04:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/1 "2003-07-07T04:59:00Z")
I travelled from Texas to Florida (and back ) last week. Going through Mississippi and Alabama, the signs marking the city/town boundaries didn’t say “City Limit”, as I’ve seen all my life, but “Corp. Limit”. The “Corp” has a period at the end, as if it’s an abbreviation of something. I was trying to come up with a sensible idea for what it could stand for, but am left without any. Corpus limit? Corporate limit? Corpse limit? Corpulence limit? Corpuscle limit? None of these made sense (except corpus, but it seemed unlikely). What’s it mean, and what other states use it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/2 "2003-07-07T05:42:00Z")
It is the corporate limit of the municipal entity in question. According to someone I asked when I moved to Ohio (1st place I saw it) I was informed that it is the end of not only the tax power of the municipality, but also the ZONING power of the municipality. Per her explanation, apparently city or town limits are smaller. There’s a zone in the “city” where you get services and pay taxes. Then outside of that, but inside of Corporate Limits, you don’t pay the city taxes, or get the city services, but you _might_ not be allowed to build an airport on your property due to the city’s zoning. I don’t know if it means something else in different states though. My cite for this is ZipperJJ. If I misunderstood her, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/3 "2003-07-07T06:10:59Z")
That’s the way it is in Mississippi. Our 100 acres are outside the corporate limit of any town or city. As a resident there are many benefits IMHO to being in an unincorporated area - you can shoot, build fires, make noise, etc. In other words there are less restrictive ordinances. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/4 "2003-07-07T06:19:26Z")
In a number of states, the powers permitted to municipalities are based on a number of factors, not least among them size. One of the ways that such municipalities are recognized in several states, is to have them _incorporate_ as cities, thus gaining more legal authority. Unincorporated villages generally have more authority than townships, but they have less authority than an incorporated city. The boundaries of such _incorporated_ municipalities are often known as _corporation limits_. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/5 "2003-07-07T07:12:59Z")
It does not have to be a city to be incorporated. The village I grew up in was incorporated and it only had a population of 75. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/6 "2003-07-07T13:43:20Z")
Thanks for the info. In Texas, we don’t have villages, townships, etc., only cities. The little town I was reared in has about 300 people, and it’s still technically a “city.” If it’s not a city, then I’m not aware of any word to refer to it. I’ve seen other states where they distinguish between villages, townships, cities (any others?). What’s the basis for the differentiation? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corp-limit/186714/7 "2003-07-07T17:56:15Z")
I would guess size. I do not know the official differences here in Ohio, but we had the signs saying “Village Corporation Limits”. Lok