# U.S. cities (not metropolitan areas) that span multiple counties **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339 "2010-04-25T21:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 25, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/1 "2010-04-25T21:55:37Z")
Until today I thought there was only only city in the United States that covers more than one county: **New York** , which comprises the counties of Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond. Each county is coterminous with a borough (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, respectively). Today I learned that **Kansas City** , Missouri, slops over into parts of four counties (the counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte). Apparently, **Oklahoma City** , Oklahoma, is another example (it’s mainly in Oklahoma County with small parts in the counties of Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie). Are there any others? Please note, I’m not talking about the independent cities found in some states that aren’t part of any county. Nor am I talking about suburbs or neighboring cities being in a different county from the central city. That’s not at all uncommon. I’m talking about the city limits of a single incorporated municipality (with a single mayor, city council, etc.) covering all or part of at least two different counties. I’ll take Louisiana parishes or Alaska boroughs in lieu of counties. ---
**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:** [April 25, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/2 "2010-04-25T22:00:37Z")
Aurora, Colorado (suburb of Denver) - Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Westminster, Colorado (suburb of Denver) - Adams and Jefferson Austin, Texas - Travis and Williamson ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/3 "2010-04-25T22:01:01Z")
Not all states have a rule that a city cannot cross a county border, so I think you’re going to get a lot of answers here. AFAIK, Texas doesn’t have such a rule, and there are plenty of cities in Texas which cross county borders. For example, the City of Dallas has land in 3 (or is it 4?) different counties. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/4 "2010-04-25T22:23:22Z")
The Village of [Saranac Lake, NY](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saranac_Lake,_New_York) is in three towns and two counties. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/5 "2010-04-25T22:35:28Z")
I agree you’re gonna find a lot of cities spill over counties. Chicago spills into DuPage County via O’Hare Airport. In Illinois it’s very common for a city, town or village to be in more than one county. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/6 "2010-04-25T22:47:34Z")
The City of Jackson, MS originated in Hinds County. Eventually a piece of Rankin County was made a part of Jackson and an airport sited there. Several years ago they annexed a portion of Madison County, so for a while Jackson was in three counties. However, that annexation was overturned (may not be the right term, sorry) so that Jackson is no longer in Madison County. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/7 "2010-04-25T23:04:44Z")
The Dayton, Ohio suburbs of Centerville and Kettering each lie in both Montgomery and Greene counties. The Greene County portion of each is quite small, but they meet the criteria, nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/8 "2010-04-25T23:32:46Z")
Most of Atlanta is in Fulton County, but [a portion of the city](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Atlanta) lies in neighboring DeKalb County. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/9 "2010-04-25T23:35:05Z")
Also in Ohio, Columbus is mainly in Franklin County, but parts of it extend into Delaware and Fairfield counties. Dublin is a suburb of Columbus, and is also mainly in Franklin County, but parts of it extend into Delaware and Union counties. Other Columbus suburbs also spill into neighboring counties, so it’s fairly common in this state, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/10 "2010-04-26T00:48:34Z")
It doesn’t even have to be a big city. In Missouri, Pacific (pop. 6,600) straddles the St. Louis County-Franklin County line, and a chunk of Jefferson City, the state capitol, lies across the Missouri River in Callaway County. In Missouri, at least, there’s no law that prevents an incorporated municipality from being in more than one county. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/11 "2010-04-26T00:58:15Z")
Richmond, Northville, Memphis, Flat Rock, and Grosse Pointe Shores are all smallish cities in Southeastern Michigan that cross county borders. It’s hardly a strange thing around here. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/12 "2010-04-26T02:52:27Z")
Chesterfield, Indiana has parts in Madison and Delaware counties. Population about 2600. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/13 "2010-04-26T03:18:24Z")
I believe Portland, Oregon which is mainly Multnomah County spills into Washington and Clackamas counties. ---
**Author:** ![Danimal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Danimal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danimal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/14 "2010-04-26T03:29:43Z")
Joplin, Missouri has a population of only 50,000, but it lies partly in Jasper County and partly in Newton County. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/15 "2010-04-26T03:30:48Z")
Durham, NC is mostly in Durham County, and Raleigh mostly in Wake, but each crosses the county line into the other county for small portions. Rocky Mount NC is divided down the middle of the main street between Nash and Edgecombe Counties. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/16 "2010-04-26T03:44:35Z")
There’s tons of them. Some of Columbia, SC is in Lexington County. If you even know where Columbia is, either you learned your state capitals well or you were in the United States Army. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/17 "2010-04-26T03:55:01Z")
Columbia is dead center of the state, where a line connecting Charleston with Atlanta and a line connecting Raleigh with Savannah would cross each other. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/18 "2010-04-26T04:07:46Z")
I agree that there are bunches of them. Boston has an expensive residential neighborhood within the city proper, Brookline, that is not only in its own county (Norfolk) but also geographically separated from the rest of Norfolk county which only exists in scattered areas throughout the eastern part on the state on paper and those aren’t always joined together either. I also live in Norfolk county about 35 miles away. Counties don’t really mean much in Massachusetts. Texarkana is a city that straddles the Texas and Arkansas state lines hence its name. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/19 "2010-04-26T04:24:18Z")
Bristol VA/TN does much the same thing as Texarkana. I believe they’re set up as two distinct cities on paper, one in each state, which then cooperate to produce the “effective” city government. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339/20 "2010-04-26T05:12:07Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Bristol VA/TN does much the same thing as Texarkana. I believe they’re set up as two distinct cities on paper, one in each state, which then cooperate to produce the “effective” city government. That’s true. There are a number of cities which apparently cross state borders (Kansas City is the largest; Texhoma OK/TX is probably the smallest, although Junction City AR/LA is also pretty small), but in all cases, they are really two cities with separate governments. They just happen to have the same name and share a common border. Sometimes one of the cities changed its name to that of the other at some point in the past. Kansas City KS did that, as well as one of the Bristols and one of the Bluefields (VA/WV). There’s even some along international borders: Sault Ste Marie MI/ON, Niagara Falls NY/ON, and Nogales AZ/Sonoma. The only case I know where a single city truly crosses a state/provincial border is Lloydminster AB/SK. Lloydminster is considered to be part of both provinces and the two provincial parliaments passed laws on the same day to make it so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-cities-not-metropolitan-areas-that-span-multiple-counties/537339.md?page=2)