# Largest U.S. city you don't know the location of **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468 "2013-10-28T18:12:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/21 "2013-10-28T20:31:43Z")
50 Arlington because I think of VA not TX. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/22 "2013-10-28T20:47:07Z")
> [@Avulsed Brainstem](#): > > I was down around the 190s and still pretty sure of most. Some are tricky, like Springfield (a quiz would have to accept any correct state), Aurora (Colorado/Illinois) and Elk Grove (CA/IL). Completely cold, I probably would have stumbled on a few in the 170-180 range. 136 (Garden Grove, CA) was the first one that I wouldn’t have been able to pin on a map. I figured it was in the general Los Angeles area (and was correct.) Never heard of Pembroke Pines (#148) either. I would have placed it around the Tampa/St Pete area, but it’s actually north of Miami. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/23 "2013-10-28T20:51:56Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I cleared the top 100 except for Arlington, TX (#50), Plano, TX (#70), Durham, NC (#83), Garland, TX (#86) and Irving, TX (#93). Bah, Texas shouldn’t be a state anyway. 🆒 > > It helps having lived in places like California, Arizona, New York and Florida – otherwise I would’ve done much worse. The four Texas cities you missed are all within 40 miles of each other - they’re part of the Dallas-Fort Worth complex. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/24 "2013-10-28T21:43:08Z")
Aurora CO (#56) was the first one I had to stop and ponder. I said CO at a guess, and turned out to be right. SS ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/25 "2013-10-28T21:55:42Z")
I got to Aurora. A few more in the top 100. Some surprises. My home town of Philly is increasing after having lost nearly half a million in the last 60 years. But even if hadn’t shrunk it still would have fallen from third place to fifth. And who would have guessed that Columbus is larger than Cleveland (and Cleveland is still shrinking). No surprise that Detroit is shrinking. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/26 "2013-10-28T21:55:58Z")
I made it Aurora, Ill but it seems to me to part of Chicago. Garden Grove,Ca and I was out, no idea where it is. **The Reaver(Capt)** ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/27 "2013-10-28T21:59:44Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Chandler AZ was the first to throw me. Some of the others might get me in the wrong state based on smaller cities with the same name. That was mine as well. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/28 "2013-10-28T22:01:47Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Are we talking about not knowing what state it’s in, or what general area it’s in? > > I know San Jose is near San Francisco, and I’m pretty sure it’s south of it - but I’m not absolutely sure - like I know where places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, etc. are. A _lot_ of people do not know where San Jose is exactly in California. It gets overshadowed by its smaller, but more famous neighbors San Francisco and Oakland. If the question is not which state, but the general location of the city within the state, I would lose at #20 Memphis. If I was shown a map of Tennessee with just two dots where Memphis and Nashville were, I would have to guess which was which. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/29 "2013-10-28T22:15:10Z")
I got hung up at Henderson, NV (#71), then Chandler, AZ (#80), and then Gilbert, AZ (#97). Perusing the list beyond that point, there are a few I’d miss, and they’re all out west. I do fine on eastern, midwestern and southern cities. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/30 "2013-10-28T22:17:39Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > I expect that Mesa will be the answer for most people. Apparently it’s a suburb of Phoenix? That said, I would probably have guessed correctly if asked to guess what state Mesa is in. > > After that I can get to #71 Henderson NV. Exactly the same for me. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/31 "2013-10-28T22:25:00Z")
I got to El Monte, CA before I was clueless, although I correctly guessed CA ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/32 "2013-10-28T22:25:15Z")
Garland, TX and Pembroke Pines, FL ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/33 "2013-10-28T22:27:59Z")
I didn’t know Virginia Beach, but I was able to guess. 🙂 After that, it was Aurora that tripped me up; I associate Aurora with Aurora, Illinois, and _Wayne’s World_. Mesa I certainly knew—maybe because it shows up often enough in crossword puzzles. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/34 "2013-10-28T22:28:08Z")
I made it to #150 Peoria, AZ. Growing up in the Midwest, going to college in TX and living on the West coast for the last 20+ years was very helpful to me. Except when I got to Peoria, which I thought was the one in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/35 "2013-10-28T22:35:29Z")
> [@Avulsed Brainstem](#): > > I was down around the 190s and still pretty sure of most. Some are tricky, like Springfield (a quiz would have to accept any correct state), Aurora (Colorado/Illinois) and Elk Grove (CA/IL). Completely cold, I probably would have stumbled on a few in the 170-180 range. Well, no. It’s in order or size, why would a quiz accept the wrong one? First one I got wrong was Henderson, at least as far as knowing the state. This would make a fun quiz on a geoguesser type site. You need to be within X miles and such. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/36 "2013-10-28T22:41:34Z")
> [@](#): > > And who would have guessed that Columbus is larger than Cleveland (and Cleveland is still shrinking). Only because Columbus assimilated all of its suburbs, and Cleveland didn’t. If you count metropolitan areas, Cleveland’s bigger. Me, I was stumped by Mesa. I knew it was somewhere in the Southwest, of course, but guessed New Mexico instead of Arizona. I also would have gotten Arlington wrong, as I would have assumed the one in Virginia. And I know Aurora because I have a cousin who once lived there. It’s one of the most depressing places I’ve seen: Go to the top of the highest hill, and it’s all a sea of identical little white houses, as far as the eye can see. EDIT: Oh, and everyone knows that the only Springfield that matters is the one in NT. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/37 "2013-10-28T22:59:02Z")
> [@Brains on the Half Shell](#): > > 50 Arlington because I think of VA not TX. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/38 "2013-10-28T23:03:16Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I made it as far as #97 (Gilbert). I’m pretty sure I never heard of the place before. Me too. But for a lot of them I know the state but I’m not sure how accurate I would be putting a pin in a map. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/39 "2013-10-28T23:16:32Z")
If I heard Portland in a national broadcast, I would assume Oregon. In a local broadcast, I would assume Maine. The biggest one that I need clarification on is Arlington. I know of the existence of Arlington, Texas, but without any other clue I would assume they were talking about the one in Virginia. The biggest one that I don’t recall hearing about at all is Fremont, CA (96) ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468/40 "2013-10-28T23:22:15Z")
I might guess Arlington is in VA. Had to cheat to know Aurora. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/largest-u-s-city-you-dont-know-the-location-of/672468.md?page=3)