# How Many of the 20 Largest Cities in Your State Have You Been To? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116 "2014-06-05T13:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/1 "2014-06-05T13:52:21Z")
[Most Populous Cities in Illinois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Illinois#Most_populous) Chicago: Yes Aurora: Yes Rockford: No Joliet: Yes Naperville: Maybe; those Chicago suburbs all start to run together after a while Springfield: Yes (lived here most of my life) Peoria: Yes Elgin: Maybe; see Naperville Waukegan: Yes Cicero: Unlikely; it’s in a part of the Chicago 'burbs that’s best avoided Champaign: Yes Bloomington: Yes Decatur: Yes Arlington Heights: Yes; the race track is impressive Evanston: Maybe; see Naperville Schaumburg: Yes Bolingbrook: Maybe; see Naperville Palatine: Yes Skokie: Yes Des Plaines: Yes ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/2 "2014-06-05T13:55:52Z")
Thank goodness I live in Illinois and you listed the cities! I haven’t been to Cicero, Joliet, Naperville, or Bolingbrook, that I remember. There’s something about Cicero - I may have visited there about 40 years ago or so, but I don’t remember. I’ve probably driven through all of them, but that doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/3 "2014-06-05T13:58:00Z")
Indiana: all of 'em, but I’ve had to travel to appraise things. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/4 "2014-06-05T14:33:28Z")
Rank Population Place name 1 2,145,146 Houston 2 1,359,758 San Antonio 3 1,223,229 Dallas 4 820,611 Austin 5 758,738 Fort Worth 6 665,568 El Paso 7 373,698 Arlington 8 307,953 Corpus Christi 9 269,776 Plano 10 241,935 Laredo All except Laredo. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/5 "2014-06-05T14:34:22Z")
I have been to all nine cities in Vermont: Burlington (42,417), South Burlington (17,904), Rutland (16,495), Barre (9,052), Montpelier (7,855), Winooksi (7,267), St. Albans (6,918), Newport (4,589), and Vergennes (2,588). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/6 "2014-06-05T14:34:53Z")
Chicago: Yes, I work there Aurora: Yes Rockford: Yes Joliet: Yes Naperville: Yes Springfield: Yes Peoria: No Elgin: Yes Waukegan: Yes Cicero: Yes Champaign: Unless being on a train that stopped there while I slept counts, no Bloomington: Yes Decatur: No Arlington Heights: Yes Evanston: Yes Schaumburg: Yes Bolingbrook: Maybe; like **HeyHomie** said, a lot of the suburbs blend together Palatine: Yes Skokie: Yes Des Plaines: Yes, I live there. 🙂 Also glad **HeyHomie** listed the Illinois cities for us! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/7 "2014-06-05T14:35:25Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > All except Laredo. You didn’t miss out on anything. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/8 "2014-06-05T14:36:57Z")
Rank City Population (2010) County Government 1 Atlanta †† 443,775 Fulton, DeKalb City 2 Augusta † 198,413 Richmond City 3 Columbus † 197,872 Muscogee City 4 Savannah † 142,022 Chatham City 5 Athens † 118,999 Clarke City 6 Sandy Springs 99,419 Fulton City 7 Roswell 93,692 Fulton City 8 Macon † 91,234 Bibb, Jones City 9 Johns Creek 82,306 Fulton City 10 Albany † 77,431 Dougherty City All of them except for John’s Creek, which I have been in but before it was incorporated. So technically I have never been to the “city” of John’s Creek. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/9 "2014-06-05T14:39:11Z")
I don’t live in IL but have spent some time there: Chicago: Yes Aurora: Yes Rockford: Yes Joliet: Yes (born there!) Naperville: Yes Springfield: No Peoria: No Elgin: Yes Waukegan: No Cicero: Yes (flew into an airport there) Champaign: No Bloomington: No Decatur: No Arlington Heights: Yes Evanston: No Schaumburg: Yes Bolingbrook: Yes Palatine: Yes Skokie: Yes Des Plaines: Yes ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/10 "2014-06-05T14:47:44Z")
Wikipeda has three methods of ascernening size of cities for England, all with some weirdness. The list that seems most within the sprit is: London Yes Birmingham Yes Manchester Yes Liverpool Yes Leeds No Sheffield Yes Teesside No Bristol Yes Bournemouth and Poole Yes Stoke-on-Trent Yes Leicester Yes Wirral No Coventry Yes Nottingham Yes Bradford No Newcastle No Bolton No Brighton and Hove Yes Plymouthm No Hull No ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/11 "2014-06-05T14:48:58Z")
Virginia ([List of cities and counties in Virginia - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Virginia)): 1 Virginia Beach: yes 2 Norfolk: yes 3 Chesapeake: might have driven through 4 Richmond: yes 5 Newport News: yes 6 Alexandria: yes 7 Hampton: yes 8 Roanoke: yes 9 Portsmouth: yes 10 Suffolk: might have driven through 11 Lynchburg: yes 12 Harrisonburg: yes 13 Charlottesville: yes 14 Danville: no 15 Manassas: yes 16 Petersburg: yes 17 Fredericksburg: yes 18 Winchester: yes 19 Salem: yes 20 Staunton: yes ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/12 "2014-06-05T14:49:17Z")
18 of them, however, with two of them I’ve only passed through it on my way to somewhere else. The largest city is just over 200k, the smallest of them is about 11k. I live in Idaho, and these cities are quite spread out. So basically I’ve been to nearly every corner of my state. Isn’t that nice? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/13 "2014-06-05T14:57:07Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Cicero: Yes (flew into an airport there) Unless you flew into [Cicero Field](http://www.lincolnbeachey.com/cicart.html) which closed in 1916, you didn’t. 🙂 Midway, nee Municipal, Airport is on Cicero Avenue but entirely within Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/14 "2014-06-05T14:59:21Z")
I’ve been to 19 of the 20 largest cities in Massachusetts. The only one I haven’t been to is Springfield (3rd largest). I haven’t yet had a reason to go there but I expect that I will sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/15 "2014-06-05T15:06:31Z")
Indianapolis yes Fort Wayne yes Evansville yes South Bend yes Carmel yes Bloomington yes Fishers yes Hammond no Gary yes Muncie yes Lafayette yes Terre Haute yes Kokomo yes Anderson yes Noblesville yes Greenwood yes Elkhart no Mishawaka yes Lawrence no Jeffersonville yes So 17 of 20 in Indiana. I grew up in Kansas, and have only hit half: Wichita no Overland Park yes Kansas City yes Olathe yes Topeka yes Lawrence yes Shawnee yes Manhattan no Lenexa yes Salina no Hutchinson no Leavenworth yes Leawood yes Dodge City no Garden City no Junction City no Emporia no Derby no Prairie Village yes Liberal no ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/16 "2014-06-05T15:09:51Z")
Among Texas’ 20 largest “cities” (many of which are just large suburbs of Houston or Dallas) 1. Houston - Yes 2 San Antonio - Yes 2. Dallas - Yes 3. Austin - Yes 5 Fort Worth - Yes 4. El Paso - Nope 5. Arlington - Yes 6. Corpus Christi - Yes 9 Plano - Yes 7. Laredo - Yes, unfortunately 8. Lubbock - Nope 9. Garland - Nope 10. Irving - Yes 11. Amarillo - Nope 12. Grand Prairie - Nope 13. Brownsville - Yes 14. Pasadena - Nope 15. McKinney - Nope 16. Mesquite - Nope 17. Killeen - Yes So, 12 out of 20. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/17 "2014-06-05T15:29:46Z")
Yes 1 Los Angeles 3,904,657 Yes 2 San Diego 1,307,402 Yes 3 San Jose 1,000,536 Yes 4 San Francisco 805,235 Yes 5 Fresno 510,665 Yes 6 Long Beach 468,257 Yes 7 Sacramento 466,488 Yes 8 Oakland 390,724 Yes 9 Bakersfield 347,483 Yes 10 Anaheim 336,265 No 11 Santa Ana 324,528 No 12 Riverside 303,871 Yes 13 Stockton 291,707 Yes 14 Chula Vista 243,916 Yes 15 Fremont 214,089 No 16 Irvine 212,375 Yes 17 San Bernardino 209,924 Yes 18 Modesto 201,165 No 19 Oxnard 197,899 No 20 Fontana 196,069 It’s possible I have been to some of the No citites, but don’t remember since we traveled a lot around the state when I was a kid. Also because a lot of the cities blur into each other. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/18 "2014-06-05T15:32:57Z")
Come on. No state has 20 cities **worth** visiting. Not IL, certainly not my home state of KY (Louisville and Lexington, maybe Bowling Green if you like Corvettes.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/19 "2014-06-05T15:36:22Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Come on. No state has 20 cities **worth** visiting. Not IL, certainly not my home state of KY (Louisville and Lexington, maybe Bowling Green if you like Corvettes.) California certainly has at least 20 cities worth visiting. They are not all in the top 20 by population, though. And those that are in the top 20 are not necessarily worth visiting. I would not consider Bakersfield, Stockton or Modesto worth visiting, though I have been to or through each of those cities far too many times. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116/20 "2014-06-05T15:55:12Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Rank Population Place name > 1 2,145,146 Houston > 2 1,359,758 San Antonio > 3 1,223,229 Dallas > 4 820,611 Austin > 5 758,738 Fort Worth > 6 665,568 El Paso > 7 373,698 Arlington > 8 307,953 Corpus Christi > 9 269,776 Plano > 10 241,935 Laredo > > All except Laredo. Plano and Laredo for me in the 1-10 list. In the 11-20 list: 11 Lubbock 239,538 229,573 4.34% 12 Garland 234,566 226,876 3.39% 13 Irving 228,653 216,290 5.72% 14 Amarillo 196,429 190,695 3.01% 15 Grand Prairie 183,372 175,396 4.55% 16 Brownsville 181,860 175,023 3.91% 17 Pasadena 152,735 149,043 2.48% 18 McKinney 148,559 131,117 13.30% 19 Mesquite 143,484 139,824 2.62% 20 Killeen 137,147 127,921 7.21% I’ve been to Lubbock, Garland, Iving, Brownsville, Pasadena and Mesquite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-of-the-20-largest-cities-in-your-state-have-you-been-to/690116.md?page=2)