# Do states other than New York have an "Upstate"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501 "2012-05-30T01:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![digitalskeeza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@digitalskeeza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digitalskeeza)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/101 "2016-07-02T18:38:09Z")
My favorite is “Slower Delaware” (for everything south of Dover).😆 ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/102 "2016-07-02T18:59:36Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Hence being sent “up the [Hudson] river” as attested in a million crime depictions. Yes but ‘up the river’ originally referred to Sing Sing, which is in Ossining in Westchester county, which just no way is ‘upstate NY’ by any modern sensibility. In fact ‘Downstate Correctional Facility’ is in Fishkill in Dutchess, north of there and in the arguable subjective zone as to what’s ‘upstate NY’ or not. Downstate though is a very rarely used term compared to upstate, IME living in the area most of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/103 "2016-07-02T19:03:01Z")
> [@crowduus](#): > > You also are not “in” Long Island—you’re ON Long Island. I can’t think of any other island like that. This is the standard terminology with islands, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/104 "2016-07-02T19:43:41Z")
I know is not on the north south divide but Cape Cod is divided as: Lower Cape Mid Cape Outer Cape ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/105 "2016-07-02T20:50:50Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s still pretty dadblasted white–though there’s an additional reason for that. What does that have to do with anything? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/106 "2016-07-02T22:48:05Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > This is the standard terminology with islands, in my experience. Or a larger speech thing. New Yorkers stand _on_ line, but most Americans, I think, stand _in_ line. Now if only people would say “put contact lenses on” instead of “in” I would be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/107 "2016-07-02T23:01:26Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Or a larger speech thing. New Yorkers stand _on_ line, but most Americans, I think, stand _in_ line. I’m saying that “on [islandname]” is the standard locution, not at all special to New Yorkers or Long Island. On Nantucket. On Daufuskie. On South Padre. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/108 "2016-07-02T23:50:00Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > I’m saying that “on [islandname]” is the standard locution, not at all special to New Yorkers or Long Island. > > On Nantucket. On Daufuskie. On South Padre. No argument. Unless Purgatory is an island. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/109 "2016-07-03T19:26:20Z")
In Minnesota, we have the Minneapolis-St. Paul & suburbs ‘metro area’ (where half of the states population lives) and the rest of the state, commonly referred to as _outstate_ or _non-metro_. Sometimes called _small town/rural_ Minnesota. (There are also 2 other population centers, Duluth & Rochester – they are generally referred to by name.) Recently, some people consider it politically incorrect to use _outstate_ or _non-metro_ – they want to use _greater Minnesota_ to refer to those areas. But this seems to be dying out 9except in political speeches). I think Zipfs Law will eventually end it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/110 "2016-07-03T21:28:33Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > **Quadgop** , I’m surprised at you. This is a meaningless result of a meaningless methodology, unless you tell me text mentions of geography on the entire-Internet-as-Googled are commensurable with usage, on _or_ off that particular record. As well as per-capita, per poster. Another non-dispositive data point: [Google Ngram has a ton of usage for upstate New York](https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Upstate+New+York%2CUpstate+Florida%2CUpstate+Michigan%2CUpstate+Maine%2CUpstate+Wisconsin%2CUpstate+Pennsylvania&year_start=1900&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2CUpstate%20New%20York%3B%2Cc0), but "Ngrams not found: Upstate Florida, Upstate Michigan, Upstate Maine, Upstate Wisconsin, Upstate Pennsylvania. " Another interesting point is that Upstate New York doesn’t appear until the mid-1930s. Edit: it’s fun to play around with the Ngram, trying different capitalizations. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/111 "2016-07-03T22:17:27Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > **Quadgop** , I’m surprised at you. This is a meaningless result of a meaningless methodology, unless you tell me text mentions of geography on the entire-Internet-as-Googled are commensurable with usage, on _or_ off that particular record. As well as per-capita, per poster. I disagree. It’s basic usage data. The question asked by the OP (so many years ago) was "Do states other than NY have an ‘Upstate’? Basic word usage metrics imply that some do, but not used nearly so often as NY. This is not a thesis, which aims to get to the fundamentals of where and why and how often such terms are used, and how applied. It’s barely a first level review of easily harvested data which has association with the question raised. It’s the first place to go when approaching such a question. I’m surprised at your surprise. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/112 "2016-07-03T22:24:58Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I disagree. It’s basic usage data. The question asked by the OP (so many years ago) was "Do states other than NY have an ‘Upstate’? Basic word usage metrics imply that some do, but not used nearly so often as NY. > > This is not a thesis, which aims to get to the fundamentals of where and why and how often such terms are used, and how applied. It’s barely a first level review of easily harvested data which has association with the question raised. It’s the first place to go when approaching such a question. I’m surprised at your surprise. :dubious: ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/113 "2016-07-03T22:59:14Z")
I choose to read that as you converting “I’m surprised at your surprise” into surprise[factorial]. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/114 "2016-07-04T21:29:45Z")
Upstate’s a relative term. I used to live in Orange County, NY. in a town less than 60 miles from the George Washington Bridge. I referred to it as “upstate” when on location in NYC. That is, till I had a guy say, " Bullshit. I grew up in Watertown. THAT’S Upstate !! You’re in the suburbs ! " Fair enough. 😃 Still, for most of NYC folk, anything past Westerchester or Rockland Counties is considered Upstate. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501/115 "2016-07-04T21:35:34Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > It is to a certain group of people in NYC - former/current inmates, cops, city correction officers, etc. Nearly all of the state prisons are “upstate” to someone from NYC. Not to mention certain “Goodfellas” 😃 > [@Goodfellas](#): > > 01:05:15 You know that thing we took care of upstate? > > 01:05:18 -Paulie was talking about that. -We must move it. > > 01:05:21 They just sold the property to make condominiums. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-states-other-than-new-york-have-an-upstate/623501.md?page=5)