# Most common town name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534 "2001-04-11T00:39:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msc75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@msc75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msc75)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/1 "2001-04-11T00:39:13Z")
I remember hearing a while back (I think on Millionare, but I’m not sure), that the most common town name in America is Springfield. Okay, fine. But the total # of towns named Springfield was either 102 or 104, I can’t recall exactly, but I do know that it was more than twice the number of states. Now, how is this possible. Can there be two Springfield’s in one state? or maybe there are variations on the spelling… ---
**Author:** ![Synergist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Synergist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Synergist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/2 "2001-04-11T04:06:50Z")
Verify the number of towns named Springfield, then worry about how there can be that many. I suspect that you will find that there are not 102 Springfields in the U.S. My atlas lists 25, but it is rather old. It lists 26 Washingtons, including, of course, D.C. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/3 "2001-04-11T05:20:59Z")
The US Census Bureau counts 76 unique places with “Springfield” in their name. Slightly fewer than “Millionare” would say. As you can see, there are multiple Springfields in some states. This is one reason why the Post Office came up with ZIP codes. The condensed results of querying their database for “Springfield” (weeding our duplicate places with variant names)is: Springfield, CO, Population: 1475 Springfield Division, CO, Population: 2137 Springfield, FL, Population: 8715 Guyton-Springfield Division, GA, Population: 8667 Springfield, GA, Population: 1415 Springfield Township, IA, Population: 139 Springfield Township, IA, Population: 474 Springfield Township, IA, Population: 1114 Springfield, IL, Population: 105227 Springfield Township, IL, Population: 7857 Springfield Township, IN, Population: 1078 Springfield Township, IN, Population: 1188 Springfield Township, IN, Population: 3169 Springfield Township, IN, Population: 4600 Springfield, KY, Population: 2875 Springfield Division, KY, Population: 8196 Springfield, LA, Population: 439 Springfield, MA, Population: 156983 West Springfield, MA, Population: 27537 Springfield, ME, Population: 406 Springfield, MI, Population: 5582 Springfield Township, MI, Population: 871 Springfield Township, MI, Population: 9927 Springfield, MN, Population: 2173 Springfield Township, MN, Population: 216 Springfield, MO, Population: 140494 Springfield Township, MO, Population: 259 Springfield Township, ND, Population: 47 Platford-Springfield No. 2 Precinct, NE, Population: 1535 Springfield, NE, Population: 1426 Springfield, NH, Population: 788 Springfield, NJ, Population: 13420 Springfield Township, NJ, Population: 3028 Springfield, NY, Population: 1267 Springfield, OH, Population: 70487 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 2284 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 2607 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 2644 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 3204 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 5290 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 6031 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 8460 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 13352 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 14773 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 20045 Springfield Township, OH, Population: 38509 Eugene-Springfield Division, OR, Population: 199009 North Springfield, OR, Population: 5451 Springfield, OR, Population: 44683 Springfield, PA, Population: 24160 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 507 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 1118 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 1892 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 2968 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 3218 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 5177 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 19612 Springfield Township, PA, Population: 24160 Springfield, SC, Population: 523 Springfield Division, SC, Population: 2184 Springfield, SD, Population: 834 Springfield, TN, Population: 11227 Springfield-Greenbrier Division, TN, Population: 24929 North Springfield, VA, Population: 8996 Springfield, VA, Population: 23706 Springfield District, VA, Population: 3745 Springfield District, VA, Population: 158447 West Springfield, VA, Population: 28126 Springfield, VT, Population: 4207 Springfield, VT, Population: 9579 Springfield, WI, Population: 476 Springfield, WI, Population: 480 Springfield, WI, Population: 772 Springfield, WI, Population: 2650 Springfield District, WV, Population: 1892 Springfield District, WV, Population: 2138 The full results, with details and a map of each place, can be found by querying the U.S. Gazetteer at: [http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer](http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer) ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/4 "2001-04-11T05:42:44Z")
There are actually more places named **“Clinton”** , than Springfield. Use the link above and check for yourself. - Over 100 variations. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/5 "2001-04-11T12:13:08Z")
Regarding paperbackwriter’s post: I did some followup and a number of those multiple listings in the same state are not different communities at all. They are merely different perceptions of the same town/city. ---
**Author:** ![Evnglion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@Evnglion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evnglion)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/6 "2001-04-11T12:25:12Z")
I think there is a fayetteville or Greeneville in just about every state. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/7 "2001-04-11T12:39:17Z")
Click and Clack on Car Talk had this for a puzzler some time back. I think the answer was Fairview, which they said was according to the US Post Office. I’m at a loss as to how there can me more than one in a state much less several. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/8 "2001-04-11T12:55:02Z")
I also do not buy some of the typical answers. I have done a lot of work with the US Postal Service’s zip code file and I know that it contains many alternate place names for the same zip code. Many of these are not commonly used and of course, there are many duplicates within the same state. Of course, the correct answer to this question depends entirely on the exact question ask. To me, the real question is: “What city/town name occurs in the most states?” I have tried to answer this question below by loading the USPS zip code file into MS Access. Here are my results for Top 10 most common city/town names in the US. Nobody even mentioned poor Franklin which is my nomination for the #1 spot. City Number of States Franklin 27 Clinton 26 Madison 26 Washington 25 Greenville 24 Chester 24 Salem 24 Springfield 24 Marion 24 Georgetown 22 ---
**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:** [April 11, 2001, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/9 "2001-04-11T13:12:37Z")
I think the confusion stems from the fact that the word “Springfield” pops up not only in the names of _cities_ but also in the names of other quasi-political entities such as _divisions_ and _townships_ and the like. For example, I live in the city of Springfield, Illinois. My section of the city is _Capital **Township** _. Springfield Township encompasses another part of the city away from where my house is. I have no real grasp of what Capital Township means to me, as my utilites, police & fire protection, property taxes, etc. are all administered by the city of Springfield. If I had kids and if I sent them to public schools, they would go to Springfield schools. IOW, “Springfield” pops up in the names of at least _two_ incorporated places in Illinois, but only one is a city. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/10 "2001-04-11T17:31:05Z")
The proliferation of Clinton-named cities and counties in America is not a prescient tribute to the 42nd president, but rather, the 3-term governor of New York and champion of the Erie Canal, [Dewitt Clinton](http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilclint2/misc/dewitt.htm): > [@](#): > > De Witt Clinton and/or his ancestors, have been honored by having many places named after them. Nine states, including Illinois, of course, have a Clinton County, but Illinois is the only State to also have a De Witt County. Thirty-six States have at least one town named Clinton, and of those, eight also have a town named De Witt. New York has Clinton, Clinton Corners, Clintonville, Clinton Mills, Clinton Hollow, Clinton Park, Fort Clinton, Clintondale and Clintondale Station. Illinois and Kansas have lakes named Clinton, and Michigan named a Clinton River. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/11 "2001-04-11T18:08:38Z")
We had a similar thread a while back, [Greenville, USA](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=23409) in which we tracked down about 43 states with places named Greenville. **paperbackwriter** ’s link is an excellent resource that I didn’t know existed. However, it doesn’t list unicorporated places or uninhabited places, of which there are a great many in this country. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/12 "2001-04-11T18:35:30Z")
HIJACK: **Fear Itself** , as a strident De Witt Clinton booster myself, I applaud your post. De Witt was Da Man. I notice that your link does not mention his gravesite (at least not on the opening page). I have seen it, and it is magnificent. It also has an interesting history. ( **Uke** are you listening? You’ll like this one if you never heard it.) When they opened glorious Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn in the 1830s-40s, the concept of a dignified non-churchyard cemetery was pretty new. The backers realized they needed a “headliner” that would stamp the place with respectability and attract other “customers.” So they approached the widow of De Witt Clinton and told her that if she agreed to move D Witt’s body from the unimpressive grave in which he then lay (near Albany IIRC), they would erect a new gravesite in Green-Wood that would knock her socks off. She agreed, and they did. If you’re ever Brooklyn-way you must check it out. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/13 "2001-04-11T18:46:22Z")
Following a link given in the other thread, [USGS search](http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form), I found only 68 Springfields in the U.S. (excluding such variations as Springfield Junction, Springfield Meadows, East Springfield, etc.). The exact count depends on which ones you decide to include; I included subdivisions and historical names. My estimates may be somewhat off, since I wasn’t counting very carefully. 130 Riversides 121 Centervilles  68 Springfields  63 Franklins  34 Washingtons Washington and Franklin have a lot more places named after them besides those, such as Franklinville, Franklinton, Washingtonville, Washington Heights, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Escanaba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Escanaba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Escanaba)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/14 "2001-04-11T18:59:27Z")
This is a slight aside, but I did you know that the most popular street name is Second? Apparently the primary street in small towns is split among First, Main, Central, and (Townname)Street. So Second became most popular by accident. ---
**Author:** ![TBone2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@TBone2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBone2)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/15 "2001-04-11T23:51:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Escanaba \* > \*\*This is a slight aside, but I did you know that the most popular street name is Second? Apparently the primary street in small towns is split among First, Main, Central, and (Townname)Street. So Second became most popular by accident. \*\* Any minute now, we’re going to see **Escanaba** posting a source for this… Any minute now… ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/16 "2001-04-12T01:16:54Z")
**Tbone2,** I’ll back up **Escanaba** on his post. I remember reading the same thing in (IIRC) the Guiness Book of Records years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/17 "2001-04-12T01:20:45Z")
Welcome aboard, **paperbackwriter**. From the Beatles song right? Cool name. ::Mahaloth hides because he has nothing to contribute to conversation about town names but wanted to say hello:: Very thourough, paper. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/18 "2001-04-12T03:28:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by stuyguy \* > \*\*HIJACK: > > **Fear Itself** , as a strident De Witt Clinton booster myself, I applaud your post. De Witt was Da Man. > > I notice that your link does not mention his gravesite (at least not on the opening page). I have seen it, and it is magnificent.\*\* Indeed, if you are talking about [this gravesite](http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/208.html), I think it befits a man whose face once graced the [$1000 bill](http://www.drbanks.com/currency/notes/note.php3?note=0187j). ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2001, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-town-name/61534/19 "2001-04-12T04:48:08Z")
**Fear** , that’s it alright. Only it’s been very recently restored, so it looks clean and bronzey these days. What you can’t see from the photo is the bas relief frieze (did I spell any of that right?) around the base that shows the highlights of his career – most notably the Erie Canal.