# ...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:** 2
**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, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/21 "2002-11-03T16:06:19Z")
Slight Hijack: This all brings up an interesting question. There are obviously a number of regions called “the tri-state area” by the locals. Why is the term so popular? Are there any regions referred to as “bi-state” or “two-state” areas? How about “quad-state” or “four-state” areas"? If not, why not? Is it due to the vagaries of language? Map geometry? Human Psychology? I know that people use “Delmarva” for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. This is probably becaue it’s more succinct than “the tri-state area”. Then there’s “four corners” which is the spot where Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico all meet at a single point. Do the locals refer to the region around that point as “the four corners region”? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/22 "2002-11-03T16:29:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Do the locals refer to the region around that point as “the four corners region”? When I lived in New Mexico it was sometimes referred to as the four corners area or some such. It is very sparsely populated so there is not a lot of call to talk about it. As far as bi state area versus tri state area. Bi stte areas would tend to run the length of the border making it a less specific that tri state area. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/23 "2002-11-03T18:06:01Z")
I’ve heard of the 48 states called Contigual, or something like that ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/24 "2002-11-03T19:48:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David Simmons \* > \*\* > > You sadly underestimate the provinciality of New Yorkers. \*\* To _real_ New Yorkers, “tri-state” refers to Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/25 "2002-11-03T20:08:29Z")
> [@](#): > > You sadly underestimate the provinciality of New Yorkers. In behalf of **Zette** and other wonderful folks who live in the Champlain Valley, the Capital Area, the Southern Tier, the North Country, Tug Hill, the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Niagara Frontier, the Genesee Valley, the Finger Lakes Area, along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and so on, and _don’t_ assume that the rest of the country can pinpoint them by some nebulous reference to such a reason, I’m going to have to ask that you amend that to “…of _downstate_ New Yorkers.” And, of course, **Manhattan** , you’re aware that everybody is supposed to understand a reference to Uptown, Downtown, and Midtown as referring to your namesake borough, right? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/26 "2002-11-03T20:09:23Z")
Four corners: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah. Don’t know if there are places where four states come together in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/27 "2002-11-03T20:14:35Z")
Four corners: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah. Don’t know if there are other places where four states come together in the USA ---
**Author:** ![TBone2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@TBone2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBone2)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/28 "2002-11-03T22:02:28Z")
Hey, Muffin! Hey, Muffin! Four corners, eh? Four corners, eh? Just whacked a guy for repeating a post seven times… Just whacked a guy for repeating a post seven times… What’s with you? What’s with you? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/29 "2002-11-03T22:36:21Z")
In the first post I forgot the word “other”, implying that I did not know of any four corners, so I corrected it in the second post. How old was Jason Two-two? ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/30 "2002-11-04T03:45:02Z")
There was(is?) a car dealership in Atlon,IL that was called Tri-State Nissan-Mazda. The problem with this is that Alton,IL is a suburb of St.Louis,MO. Ok, there is 2 states. The next closest state would be Kentucky or Iowa, niether of which is very close. [sub]Looks like the dealership is called Auto Centers Nissan Of Alton now and is no longer a Mazda dealership.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/31 "2002-11-04T04:24:49Z")
There is a section of geography nearby called the DelMarVa Peninsula. Technically this qualifies as a tri-state area, but I’m glad to see we refuse to call it as such. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/32 "2002-11-04T04:30:34Z")
BTW, that rhymes with “tell-martha”, stress on “mar”. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/33 "2002-11-04T06:09:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > **Or, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio.** The immediate area served by Tri-State University of Angola, Indiana. [http://www.tristate.edu/](http://www.tristate.edu/) As **davidm** pointed out, you don’t hear about “bi-state” areas. Yet there is considerable numerical variation among aggregations of municipalities: Twin Cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota is the most famous USA example Tri-Cities: Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington state Quad-Cities: Moline, Illinois; Rock Island, Illinois; Davenport, Iowa; Bettendorf, Iowa This area along the Mississippi River was earlier known as the Tri-Cities (Moline-Rock Island-Davenport). Later, East Moline’s growth inspired the change to the “Quad-Cities” designation. When Bettendorf’s population surpassed East Moline’s, some boosters argued for the adoption of “Quint-Cities”, but the Quad-Squad" prevailed. See [http://www.qconline.com/qcqa/whatisqc.html](http://www.qconline.com/qcqa/whatisqc.html) ---
**Author:** ![knarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@knarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knarf)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/34 "2002-11-04T16:28:38Z")
There’s a town near the Florida/Alabama border named Florala, so I guess there’s a “Florala area”. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/35 "2002-11-05T17:58:59Z")
“Are there any regions referred to as “bi-state” or “two-state” areas?” Metropolitan St. Louis, which includes East St. Louis and other communities in Illinois. The St. Louis metro transit agency is called Bi-State, anyhow. [http://bi-state.org/index.asp](http://bi-state.org/index.asp) ---
**Author:** ![tomyoung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@tomyoung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomyoung)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/36 "2002-11-05T18:10:41Z")
We’re missing an important one – the area surrounding Shreveport-Bossier City: the Arklatex, sometimes called Texarkana. I’m glad to hear someone else knows Florala, AL. Alabama also has Georgiana on the border with Georgia, though that’s not quite the same. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/37 "2002-11-05T20:09:45Z")
There’s also a city in Nevada near the Nevada-California-Arizona junction called CalNevAri. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/38 "2002-11-05T23:44:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by davidm \* > \*\*As a resident of south-eastern PA I’ll second that. DE, NJ, and PA are OFTEN referred to as “the tri-state area”. \*\* I’ve spent tons of time in South Jersey. I’ve only heard “The Delaware Valley Region” for this little nook. I’ve only ever heard “tri-state” for NY, NJ, and CT. Tripler And I thought “Twin Cities” was consfusing - why not just call it “one big town”? ---
**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, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/39 "2003-01-11T20:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tripler \* > \*\*I’ve spent tons of time in South Jersey. I’ve only heard “The Delaware Valley Region” for this little nook. I’ve only ever heard “tri-state” for NY, NJ, and CT… \*\* But where were you in South Jersey? I think “Delaware Valley” refers to a bigger region then “tri-state”. “Tri-state” would probably mean a smaller region surrounding the point where the three borders meet. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854/40 "2003-01-12T00:44:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by davidm \* > \*\*Slight Hijack: > This all brings up an interesting question. There are obviously a number of regions called “the tri-state area” by the locals. Why is the term so popular? Are there any regions referred to as “bi-state” or “two-state” areas? How about “quad-state” or “four-state” areas"? If not, why not? Is it due to the vagaries of language? Map geometry? Human Psychology? I know that people use “Delmarva” for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. This is probably becaue it’s more succinct than “the tri-state area”. Then there’s “four corners” which is the spot where Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico all meet at a single point. Do the locals refer to the region around that point as “the four corners region”? \*\* In general, “tri-state area” refers more to the area around the borders of the three states, I’d warrant. The phrase is used in areas where there is much border crossing between states. A classic is NY/NJ/CT. I suspect that the term is only used in areas around the borders of the three states; I don’t you’d hear “TSA” in upstate New York, for example. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tri-state-area-duh-which-one/134854.md?page=3)