# What's the largest American city you've never been to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358 "2007-04-09T19:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/21 "2007-04-09T20:41:45Z")
Never been to LA. Never heard of Fort Worth, Texas. And I didn’t pass third grade either. I \*suck \* at geography! ---
**Author:** ![wasson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4da419/32.png) [@wasson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wasson)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/22 "2007-04-09T20:43:37Z")
I used to live in Chicago, #3. I’m a little surprised my home town and current city of Peoria is on there, albeit pretty low at #212. Although in Metropolitan area, Peoria does even better at #133. I’m really surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/23 "2007-04-09T20:45:33Z")
One of the top 10, one more in the top 20, and that’s all until you’re over 50 down the list. There are a few more added in if you go by the metro area list. I don’t get out much. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/24 "2007-04-09T20:45:36Z")
In the top ten I’ve missed Houston (#4), Phoenix (#6), San Diego (#7) and Dallas (#9). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/25 "2007-04-09T20:48:35Z")
I’ve never been to Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/26 "2007-04-09T20:49:21Z")
Even before I saw the list, my thought was **Houston** , and the list confirms this. After than, **Phoenix**. I’ve only been through the northwest corner of Arizona on US 15. ---
**Author:** ![kurilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea5d25/32.png) [@kurilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurilla)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/27 "2007-04-09T20:59:58Z")
I have been to all of the top ten except Houston. I’ve heard of all of the top 150… too lazy to scroll any further. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/28 "2007-04-09T21:02:31Z")
I’ve been to Chicago plenty of times, of course, and to LA three times. Never been to NYC, but I plan on taking a trip there soon. Maybe this year. I guess the largest city I’ve never heard of is Chandler, AZ. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/29 "2007-04-09T21:04:05Z")
I don’t travel much, so I haven’t been to any of the top 25 cities listed. Seattle (#26) is the first one on the list I have actually spent some time in. Denver (#27) barely counts as I have only passed through it via driving a U-Haul truck (the OP only excludes airport-only stops). As for cities I never heard of, Chula Vista, California (#90) is the first on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/30 "2007-04-09T21:08:21Z")
In the top 10 I have been to all but San Antonio and for Philly I have only been to the airport. I had never heard of Aurora, Colorado at #60. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/31 "2007-04-09T21:09:56Z")
I’ve been to ten of the top 12 - I’ve only ever passed Philly, and I wanted to go to San Jose, but I didn’t know the way. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/32 "2007-04-09T21:12:11Z")
I had no inkling of [Chesapeake, VA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake,_Virginia) (#85) till just now. And why should I have? It was just South Norfolk till 1963. Now it’s bigger than such old favorites as Orlando, Akron, and Rochester, NY. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/33 "2007-04-09T21:20:55Z")
I haven’t been to 35 of the top 50, the largest being Houston. Of the top 50 I have been to: New York City Los Angeles Chicago Philadelphia Phoenix San Jose San Francisco Columbus Boston Washington DC Las Vegas Sacramento New Orleans Cleveland Oakland The first city I’ve never heard of is #84 - Hialeah, FL. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/34 "2007-04-09T21:31:09Z")
Largest one I’ve never been to, except the airport: Chicago (#3). Largest one I’ve never heard of: Overland Park, Kansas ((#137). ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/35 "2007-04-09T21:45:33Z")
#11 Detroit. Honestly don’t see that changing any time in the near (or far) future. Chandler, AZ would also be the top one I’d never heard of. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/36 "2007-04-09T21:49:52Z")
Never been to Houston, #4, although if airport layovers were allowed I could go all the way down to #7, San Diego. The biggest city I’ve never heard of is Santa Ana, California, #54. (On looking through the list, it appears that there are a lot of places in California that I’ve never heard of.) ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/37 "2007-04-09T22:07:05Z")
Houston at #4 is the largest I haven’t been to. Another vote for Gilbert AZ as the tops I hadn’t heard of. The only other one in the top 150 that was news to me was Aurora IL at 131. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/38 "2007-04-09T22:07:06Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] never heard of Aurora Colorado (#60). [/QUOTE] Don’t worry; you’re not missing much. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/39 "2007-04-09T22:11:24Z")
I’ve never been to Houston, or to 13 of the other top 20. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/40 "2007-04-09T22:35:39Z")
Of the top 10, I’ve not been to Houston (I don’t think… I’ve been to Austin though) or LA. I lived in San Jose for a bit! Providence reprazent at 124! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358.md?page=3)