# ...the "tri-state" area...duh WHICH one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854 "2002-11-01T16:14:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gingersnap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f04885/32.png) [@gingersnap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gingersnap)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/1 "2002-11-01T16:14:02Z")
Just saw yet another usenet post where someone is selling an item. The ad said they are “in the tri-state area”. As if that is supposed to tell everyone from Alaska to Alabama where they are from?? There must be dozens of “tri-state areas” in the US. Morons. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/2 "2002-11-01T16:22:00Z")
Why are you asking us? ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/3 "2002-11-01T16:35:47Z")
When I hear “tri-state area” I usually think of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. But it’s pretty much impossible to figure out with the information you’ve given us. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/4 "2002-11-01T16:43:07Z")
It looks like another major one is Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/5 "2002-11-01T17:25:15Z")
I was always assumed it was Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/6 "2002-11-01T17:26:15Z")
Or, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri. Or, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio. Or, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin. Or, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota. Or, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware. Or, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia. Or, California, Nevada, Oregon. Or, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey–and Pennsylvania. Really. [http://www.tristatejobs.com/](http://www.tristatejobs.com/) Context is everything, Gingersnap. Does the post in question have a “Location” indicated? That would give you a valuable clue… ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/7 "2002-11-01T17:43:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gingersnap \* > \*\*Just saw yet another usenet post where someone is selling an item. The ad said they are “in the tri-state area”. As if that is supposed to tell everyone from Alaska to Alabama where they are from?? There must be dozens of “tri-state areas” in the US. Morons. \*\* Dude, there’s only one nationally recognized tri-state area, and it’s the one mentioned by 5-HT. The reason they don’t tell you “which one” is because (a) they don’t think there is another one and (b) if they did know about others, who cares? Everyone from Alaska to Alabama doesn’t live in Tri-State, do they? Haven’t you ever seen that famous New Yorker cover? ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/8 "2002-11-01T18:26:52Z")
NY-NJ-CT is the tri-state area. As for… Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri. Indiana, Michigan, Ohio. Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin. Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware. Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia. California, Nevada, Oregon… they’re all TRY-state areas. [grinny face here] ~ stuyguy, the obnoxious NYer ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/9 "2002-11-02T01:18:33Z")
I thought the tri-state area was 0.01[symbol]°[/symbol]C… ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/10 "2002-11-02T05:12:24Z")
Only at 0.00603 atm. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/11 "2002-11-02T06:20:03Z")
round this here parts, the “tri state area” would be WI, IL and IN, as connected by the tri-state tollway aka 294. screw NY. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/12 "2002-11-02T06:29:42Z")
No, **da\_pope** , I have to disagree. We do indeed have the Tri-State Tollway, but nobody here **ever** calls it “the tri-state area”. It’s either “the Chicago area” or “Chicagoland”. I’ve heard of Delmarva and the ArkLaMiss region and the Four Corners area, but do the inhabitants of _any_ such region outside of New York refer to it as “the tri-state area”? Not “could they?”, but “do they?” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/13 "2002-11-02T07:10:11Z")
I’ve heard “Tri-State” used for to describe the area around Cincinnati (Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky), Chattanooga (Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama) and El Paso (Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua). When I hear the word “Tri-State” thrown around without any sort of context, though, I think of the NYC metro, and Tri-State Brickface. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/14 "2002-11-02T07:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gingersnap \* > \*\*Just saw yet another usenet post where someone is selling an item. The ad said they are “in the tri-state area”. As if that is supposed to tell everyone from Alaska to Alabama where they are from?? There must be dozens of “tri-state areas” in the US. Morons. \*\* You sadly underestimate the provinciality of New Yorkers. ---
**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/15 "2002-11-02T08:05:06Z")
[http://www.tristatesradio.com](http://www.tristatesradio.com) i used to listen to them a lot when i went to school at WIU. Illinois/Iowa/Missouri > **[Travel Agency, Vacation and Travel Planner | Galena, IL | Tri-State Travel](http://tristatetravel.com/)** > > Plan the vacation of your dreams with the help of Tri-State Travel. Visit our Galena, IL or Davenport, IA office to book an international or domestic vacation! been on a few bus trips with them Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin so yeah, people do refer to other regions as “tri state area” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/16 "2002-11-03T01:18:58Z")
But which one is Springfield in? ---
**Author:** ![Shabadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Shabadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shabadu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/17 "2002-11-03T05:18:35Z")
I will tell you that the Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania “tri-state” is often referred to as such. There is even a Tri-State Mall and shopping center in the north eastern tip of Delaware. I lived about 1 mile from it for a few years. I thought it was strange at first, but got very used to it. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/18 "2002-11-03T07:03:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shabadu \* > **I will tell you that the Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania “tri-state” is often referred to as such…** As a resident of south-eastern PA I’ll second that. DE, NJ, and PA are OFTEN referred to as “the tri-state area”. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/19 "2002-11-03T07:11:20Z")
All right, I’m satisfied. There are lots of places which people describe as “the tri-state area”. Anyone using the term without any context, and expecting outsiders to know what they’re talking about, is a doofus. Now that I go back and read the OP, I see that he or she has already told us this. In fact, there’s no question in the OP at all. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/20 "2002-11-03T15:09:31Z")
Hijack: I went to school at UW-Platteville, which is close to both IA and IL. So that is one 3-state area (WI-IA-IL). I got a Job in Caledonia, MN, which is very close to WI and IA, so that is another 3-state area (MN-WI-IA). I now have a different job and moved to LaCrescent and am farther from IA, but I still consider it a 3-state area. Brian [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854.md?page=2)