# What's the largest US city with a smaller same named counterpart? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667 "2015-09-11T13:30:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/21 "2015-09-11T18:18:12Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Another record-holder: the largest city in the US with another city larger than it having the same name is Columbus, Georgia. > > I’m not sure what would be, world-wide, the largest second-largest city with the same name Well, my first guess is London, UK, and London, Ontario (some 366K). I then thought of St. Petersburg, but it’s only about 250K for the Florida locale. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/22 "2015-09-11T18:33:01Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > The closest (geographically) same name case I know of is Newark, NJ (~ quarter million people) and Newark, DE (~32,000) which are only about 120 miles away, making it plausible that someone might actually go to one of the Newarks while intending to go to the other one (yes, I know the cities’ names are pronounced differently). Wuh? They are? I did not know that. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/23 "2015-09-11T18:39:14Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > Wuh? They are? I did not know that. The NJ one is pronounced something like “New-erk” while the Delaware one is more like “New-Ark”. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/24 "2015-09-11T18:43:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, my first guess is London, UK, and London, Ontario (some 366K). I then thought of St. Petersburg, but it’s only about 250K for the Florida locale. OK, found one better: Anyang, China (5M+) and Anyang, South Korea (with 617K). But Anyang is what appears to be a “prefecture-level city” which–someone help me out here–appears to be more of something like a county area. That said, it appears what would be normally classified as the city part is around 2M, so it looks like 617K is the number to beat now. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/25 "2015-09-11T19:02:45Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Some combination of Springfields, I’m certain. First two in Wiki that I looked at: > > MO: 159,498 > IL: 116,250 > Ratio: 1.37 As of 2010: Pasadena, Texas: 149,000 Padsadena, California: 137,000 ratio: 1.09 ETA: I didn’t see Old Guy’s post on Springfields in MA and MO, which has this beat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/26 "2015-09-11T19:13:59Z")
How about Paris, AR 3,495 Paris FR, 2,244,000 ? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/27 "2015-09-11T19:33:58Z")
China has two cities named Fuzhou. The _smaller_ one has over 2 million people. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/28 "2015-09-11T20:02:53Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Here’s a variation: > > 1. large US city (pop. \> 100,000) > 2. smaller US city with the same name as 1. > 3. not Kansas City > > What’s the city combo with the smallest ratio: > > pop. city #1/pop. city #2 Among large cities, I found a few others within 20%: [ul] [li]Glendale, AZ & Glendale, CA: 232,143/194,478 ≈ 1.194[/li][li]Columbia, SC & Columbia, MO: 131,686/113,225 ≈ 1.163[/li][li]Pasadena, CA & Pasadena, TX: 152,272/138,547 ≈ 1.099.[/li][/ul]Neither of these are better than Springfield, MO/MA (which are within 5.6% of each other if you use the populations of the cities proper rather than their metro areas.) If you’re willing to go a bit smaller, there’s also Springfield, OH (59,956) and Springfield, OR (60,263), whose populations are within about 0.5% of each other. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/29 "2015-09-11T20:08:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you want to go worldwide, the largest city is Shanghai with a population of over 24 million. There is also an unincorporated town in Virginia also called Shanghai. I can’t find the population but I assume it’s quite low. Mexico, North America, Earth: 122 million. Mexico, Maine: 2,681 Peru, South America, Earth: 30 million Peru, Maine: 1,541 I do have fun telling people my MIL was born in Mexico. No, not that one. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/30 "2015-09-11T20:22:38Z")
[Amerika](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerika,_Saxony), Germany (pop. 76) [America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas), Earth (pop. 954,000,000) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/31 "2015-09-11T20:33:04Z")
What about Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS? Or is that cheating? ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/32 "2015-09-11T21:44:14Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Mexico, North America, Earth: 122 million. > Mexico, Maine: 2,681 > > Peru, South America, Earth: 30 million > Peru, Maine: 1,541 > > I do have fun telling people my MIL was born in Mexico. No, not that one. Don’t forget China, Maine. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/33 "2015-09-11T22:15:22Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > What about Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS? Or is that cheating? violates condition 3 of original question – not OP but the later question. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/34 "2015-09-11T22:59:30Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Don’t forget China, Maine. And then there’s Africa (the continent) and Africa, Ohio (population about 10 or 20). I’ve been to both. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/35 "2015-09-12T00:47:20Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > If you want to go worldwide, the largest city is Shanghai with a population of over 24 million. There is also an unincorporated town in Virginia also called Shanghai. I can’t find the population but I assume it’s quite low. > > Mexico, North America, Earth: 122 million. > Mexico, Maine: 2,681 > > Peru, South America, Earth: 30 million > Peru, Maine: 1,541 > > I do have fun telling people my MIL was born in Mexico. No, not that one. Even better: Earth, third planet in the solar system: 7 billion [Earth, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth,_Texas): 1,065 ---
**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:** [September 12, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/36 "2015-09-12T00:56:17Z")
Toronto, Ontario: population 2 615 060 (in 2011). Toronto, Indiana: population 0. It is described as ‘extinct’ in the linked Wikipedia article. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/37 "2015-09-12T01:25:02Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Mexico, North America, Earth: 122 million. > Mexico, Maine: 2,681 > > Peru, South America, Earth: 30 million > Peru, Maine: 1,541 > > I do have fun telling people my MIL was born in Mexico. No, not that one. There’s also [Mexico, Missouri - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico,_Missouri). It’s bigger than the one in Maine. And very few of those Mexicans are Latinos. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/38 "2015-09-12T01:43:57Z")
How about co-named cities where the larger, more famous one was founded later? Vancouver, WA (founded 1857) pop 161,791 Vancouver, BC (founded 1867, renamed that in 1886) pop 603,502 ---
**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:** [September 12, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/39 "2015-09-12T02:05:38Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > China has two cities named Fuzhou. The _smaller_ one has over 2 million people. China has 14 cities of over 5 million people (Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Taipei, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Wuhan, Shenyang, Hangzhou, and Chongqing). [Listed by Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_China_by_population) the “built-up” area of 93 have over 1 million. But only one on that list was named Fuzhou. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667/40 "2015-09-12T04:04:01Z")
Let’s go for quantity, if not quality: Long Beach, CA - 462,257 pop., 51.437 sq mi Long Beach, WA Long Beach, MI Long Beach, Connecticut, a beach Long Beach, Indiana Long Beach, Maryland (a census-designated place) Long Beach, Minnesota Long Beach, Mississippi Long Beach, New York Long Beach, North Carolina … and a couple of places in Canada, and a suburb in Australia, and a town in New Zealand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-us-city-with-a-smaller-same-named-counterpart/730667.md?page=3)