# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/81 "2007-04-11T13:49:28Z")
Since we can’t count airport layovers, the largest city in the US I’ve never been to is Houston. And I have no particular interest in changing that any time soon. Largest city I’ve never heard of is #197, West Valley City, UT. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/82 "2007-04-11T14:08:48Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I looked at that list and marvelled at how few large cities there were in the US - only nine greater than a million people!? Then I looked at the metro-area population list. Heh. [/QUOTE] Oh, yeah, that’s the really useful number these days. For instance, the city limits restriction says that Albuquerque (for instance) is a bigger city than Atlanta. But the Atlanta metro area is almost six million, the Albuquerque metro area still can’t break one million. I’m told you used to be able to tell the differences between Denver, Golden, Aurora, and the other cities that make up the Denver metro area. But heck, these days it seems like there’s no difference between even the Denver area and Boulder. I doubt it’ll ever reach all the way down to Colorado Springs, though, even if people do live there and commute to Denver. Oh, for me? New York. I didn’t even have to look at the list to have my answer. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/83 "2007-04-11T18:20:58Z")
Of the “Big 10” I’ve missed Philadelphia & San Diego. Just passed through Phoenix–but it was a drive-through with the setting sun glinting off all those glass buildings & the saguaros casting ever-longer shadows. I was a kid when visiting Chicago, but I remember a drive along the lakeside with amazing buildings & a planetarium. Even my “adult” stopover at OHare was memorable because of flying over The Lake They Call Michigan. ("Oh, _that’s_ why they’re called The Great Lakes.🙂 Haven’t been to far too many of the non-Texas cities on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/84 "2007-04-11T19:01:19Z")
The biggest city I haven’t been to is #16 - Austin, Texas (and I really want to go there). Of the top 50, I’ve been to all but 5 - Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, and Arlington (all in Texas), as well as Albuquerque, New Mexico. The biggest city I’ve never heard of is 159 - Pasadena, Texas. I’m great with the 49 other states, though. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/85 "2007-04-11T20:07:02Z")
I’ve never been in New York City. The population list is BS. A bunch of those places are suburbs of other cities. Going by metro areas, the largest one I’m not familiar with is Hickory, NC. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/86 "2007-04-11T20:14:55Z")
Never been to New York or LA. Largest I’d never heard of was Hialeah, Florida. From there on down, it’s hit an miss – “Chula Vista, California”? ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/87 "2007-04-11T21:02:02Z")
I’ve never been to Chicago (#3), or pretty much anywhere in the Midwest. Like several other people in this thread, I’ve never heard of Aurora, CO, (#60), but I think it’s a pretty name. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/88 "2007-04-11T21:22:09Z")
#4–Houston, TX ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/89 "2007-04-11T21:51:01Z")
Wow, I was surprised to see Henderson, NV on there. Because it’s so much smaller than Vegas, it was always just kind of part of the beast when I lived down there. A nicer, less touristy part, to be sure, but I’d had no idea that it measured up quite that well against the rest of the country in terms of population. The largest American city I’ve never been to would be New York City itself. The biggest I’d never heard of would probably be Greensboro, NC. My grasp of geography is definitely fuzziest when it comes to the east coast. Of the 255 listed, I’ve been to Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Memphis, Fort Worth, Charlotte, Denver, Louisville, Las Vegas, Tucson, Long Beach, Sacramento, New Orleans, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Riverside, Stockton, St. Paul, Lexington, Glendale, Henderson, Birmingham, Baton Rouge, Madison, Orlando, Fremont, Modesto, Des Moines (though that was an accident…), Mobile, Salt Lake City, Providence, North Las Vegas, Aurora IL, Tallahassee, Rockford, Springfield IL, Burbank, and Pueblo. Only 45 in all, which disappoints me. I’d like to have seen more on the list. ---
**Author:** ![jacob\_wrestling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/76d3ee/32.png) [@jacob\_wrestling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacob_wrestling)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/90 "2007-04-11T22:35:51Z")
I’ve never been to NYC. Surprising, since apparently, it is the axis around which the entire country - nay, planet - revolves. Highest ranked city I’ve never even heard of is #60 Aurora, Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/91 "2007-04-12T22:45:26Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever been to NYC, or at least I’ve never been Right In There – I think we stopped on the outskirts to get gas. I’ve spent time in the following out of the top 25 – Los Angeles (and I will never go back unless I must) Chicago Houston Phoenix San Diego San Antonio Dallas San Jose Jacksonville San Francisco Austin (we’re in the top 20 now? :eek: ) Memphis Baltimore Fort Worth Boston Washington, DC Milwaukee This is every city I’ve been in for a few hours, not including sitting boredly in an airport. If we just stopped for a quick meal while driving through I didn’t count it, but I counted it if I’d spent the night. Two major cross-country trips will do that. I don’t recall ever having heard of Gilbert, AZ (120something). ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/92 "2007-04-12T23:35:37Z")
I haven’t been to New York City. But I have been to at least 92 of the other cities on the list. There are probably a dozen or two more on the list that I’m not sure about. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/93 "2007-04-13T01:20:36Z")
Largest city I have not been in: Houston. Largest city I have never heard of: Moreno Valley. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/94 "2007-04-13T12:26:42Z")
I’ve never been to New York. Out of the top ten I’ve been to: 2 Los Angeles 3 Chicago 6 Phoenix 8 San Diego (lived in the metro area for almost four years) 10 San Jose The largest city I’ve never heard of is Virginia Beach, Virginia (42) though its location is easy enough to guess just from the name. The one I’d have trouble pointing out on a map without the handy-dandy state included on this list to narrow it down for me is Aurora, Colorado (60). ---
**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:** [April 15, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/95 "2007-04-15T04:47:36Z")
For me, it’s # 9 - Dallas. But I AM a big traveler, and out of the top 50, there’s only 9 I haven’t been to - and 3 of those are in the Dallas area (the others being Fort Worth and Arlington). ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/96 "2007-04-15T07:14:43Z")
**Sleel** , where in the San Diego area did you live? I’m always curious to hear the story of San Diego Dopers, especially those who travel the world. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/97 "2007-04-15T10:22:42Z")
Hmm, I’ve “been to” several of 'em – Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Dallas, Kansas City. Being from Colorado, of course, I’ve been all over Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs. I guess Chicago is the biggest of the bunch I’ve been to. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/98 "2007-04-15T10:46:35Z")
New York City. We were within 50 miles, however far Newburgh is from NYC, but chose to avoid the Big Apple altogether on a trip to Maine. Not to be picky about NYC, we also avoided Boston, but had to negotiate the unfriendly highways of Hartford, CT. Also, I’ve never been west of Texas so all the big ones out west. I’ve been to Chicago several times and it’s been #3 since I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/99 "2007-04-16T03:35:54Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] **Sleel** , where in the San Diego area did you live? I’m always curious to hear the story of San Diego Dopers, especially those who travel the world. [/QUOTE] Really close to SDSU. It was technically La Mesa, I think, but toward the downtown side of La Mesa. I deliberately looked for someplace close enough to walk to school. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358/100 "2007-04-16T18:19:11Z")
Let’s see - out of the top ten, I haven’t been to: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose (notice a pattern?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-american-city-youve-never-been-to/399358.md?page=4)