# Multi-state area names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308 "2003-01-08T15:28:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/21 "2003-01-11T18:35:21Z")
“The Tidewater Area” seems to collectively refer to coatal and estuarine VA-NC (at least as far south as the Pamlico sound). ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/22 "2003-01-11T19:56:03Z")
How about [Tri-State Area](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=142192&highlight=tristate+area)? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/23 "2003-01-11T20:03:58Z")
There’s The Carolinas and The Dakotas too. There’s also the counties that call themselves “West Virginia”. (As once stated in a public speech by Virginia Governor George Allen.) ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/24 "2003-01-11T20:08:06Z")
Flora-bama ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/25 "2003-01-11T20:35:27Z")
Tennessee + Arkansas + Mississippi= “Tam”. Not sure if people around Memphis are called TAMs or what, but I know there was an ABA franchise, the Memphis Tams that was named after this acronym. ---
**Author:** ![Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@Caesar\_s\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caesar_s_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/26 "2003-01-12T00:36:34Z")
the Four Corners area Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/27 "2003-01-12T01:04:09Z")
My least favorite? Kentucky + Indiana = Kentuckiana. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/28 "2003-01-12T01:41:49Z")
NW Indiana and SE Illinois. Illiana. But why not Indiois. Why Texahoma? Why not Oklas? Why Michiana? Why not Indigan? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/29 "2003-01-12T03:25:10Z")
I believe there’s nothing controversial about New England as the name for the area covered by the 6 northeasternmost states. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/30 "2003-01-12T04:44:24Z")
Although my part of New York is often included in New England, although New York State is supposed to be Mid-Atlantic. When you’re this close to Massachusetts physically and culturally, and NYC, Jersey, etc are so far away you tend to forget you can get there in just three hours… The inclusion of bits of NY in New England is controversial, I suppose. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/31 "2003-01-12T04:47:51Z")
Any other panhandles out there? (I know NM has one, but it’s too damn small to support the rest of the state!) West Virginia has two panhandles. The Northern and Eastern Panhandle ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/32 "2003-01-12T09:04:48Z")
Wow, this topic has drifted neatly, hasn’t it. Anyway… The broadcasting area for Pittsburgh television stations encompasses southwestern Pennsylvania, southeastern Ohio and all of the northern panhandle of West Virginia and that too is known as a tri-state area. This is mostly a television weatherman convention, however, and completely ignores the fact that Pittsburgh stations are regularly seen in the far western portions of the Maryland panhandle too (Garrett County and environs) which would make it a quad-state area. Speaking of quads, there are the Quad Cities: Moline and Rock Island, Illinois and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa. Mountain ranges offer up some good regional names to go along. “The Ozarks” is a catch-all for not just the mountain chain but the area around them in Missouri and Arkansas. (Oklahoma too, maybe? I’m not sure on that.) Appalachia, with all the baggage that the name contains, can be applied to portions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas. The Carolinas can also wear the “Piedmont” label. And there’s always the Rockies. Is there a clever name for the Philadelphia sprawl which encompasses much of southern Jersey and northern Delaware? Does “Chicagoland” now include some of the area Wisconsin south of Milwaukee? ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/33 "2003-01-12T09:28:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xema \* > \*\*I believe there’s nothing controversial about New England as the name for the area covered by the 6 northeasternmost states. \*\* There is when people describe New England as “liberal” or “urban” or “anti-gun”. :rolleyes: They’re talking about southern New England. Northern and Southern New England are as different as night and day. ---
**Author:** ![guy\_from\_wpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@guy\_from\_wpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guy_from_wpa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/34 "2003-01-12T13:44:32Z")
re: Is there a clever name for the Philadelphia sprawl which encompasses much of southern Jersey and northern Delaware? The Delaware Valley (watch Channel 6 news) ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/35 "2003-01-12T15:54:42Z")
New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are called the Tri-State Area around here. I’ve heard Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and (I think) Delaware referred to as the Key State Area. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/36 "2003-01-12T17:01:22Z")
I’ve heard the local weathercaster call up here the Tri-State Area, too, encompassing New York and Massachusetts - I think the third state is Vermont. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/37 "2003-01-12T17:28:24Z")
The Bible Belt. Can’t find a direct reference but generally refers to Southern states from SC to TX. There is also The Sun Coast from around Clearwater down to Ft. Myers, Fl. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/38 "2003-01-12T21:08:00Z")
Western KY + Northwest TN = Tuckassee. I’m serious. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/39 "2003-01-13T00:42:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Protesilaus \* > \*\*New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are called the Tri-State Area around here. I’ve heard Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and (I think) Delaware referred to as the Key State Area. \*\* Just to claify, the Tri-State Area typically refers to Northern New Jersey, Eastern Connecticut and Southern New York (including Westchester and NYC of course) and not the whole of those 3 states. IMHO. Basically it’s NYC and suburbs, broadly defined. (Those folks from the NY-MA-VT area are mere interlopers, I assure you. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308/40 "2003-01-13T01:17:37Z")
And then there’s the **Pacific Northwest** , encompasing Oregon, Washington and Idaho. And one my late father used to use as a spoof, “Pensyltucky” an unlikely combination, since the don’t share a border. It was used as a made-up place name in the same way he’d answer “two hundred and plenty” when asked his weight, or talk about the month of “Septober,” but I remember it foldly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-state-area-names/147308.md?page=3)