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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Some of these names were deliberately invented so as to be amusing. Some were derived from Native American names or from various languages and any amusement was unintentional. Others are just interesting or mysterious, especially to a visitor from outside the USA or Canada. The inclusion of any place name here is in no way intended to be insulting to its founders or its present-day inhabitants.
Suggestions for additional entries and any explanations of the derivations of names are very welcome. You can email me using the link at the bottom of this page. By the way, I am very well aware of several town names which are capable of rude interpretation. I haven't listed them here because I want this web site to be suitable for everyone, so you don't need to tell me about them.
Accident, Arkansas. In the northwest corner of the state, just north of Springdale.
Accident, Maryland. In the northwest corner of the state, on US 219 just south of I-68. My thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry.
Albert Lea, Minnesota
Angel Fire, New Mexico. Just south of US64 between Raton and Taos.
Angels Camp, California. At the intersection of California State Highways 4 and 49 in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah, USA
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Beanblossom, Indiana. At the intersection of Indiana State Highways 45 and 135 about 35 miles roughly south of Indianapolis. My thanks to John Katzel of Cary, Illinois for suggesting this entry.
Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania. On Pennsylvania State Highway 340 east of Lancaster in the Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Blair Street, Silverton, Colorado. In Silverton's days as a mining town, Blair Street was the site of various saloons and bordellos and was called "Notorious Blair Street". There is apparently no connection with any British prime minister :)
Boring, Oregon. About sixteen miles east-southeast of Portland on Oregon State Highway 212.
Brothers, Illinois; Brothers, Oregon and Sisters, Oregon. It is about 65 miles by road between Brothers and Sisters in Oregon. Sisters is on the wooded eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains northwest of Bend while Brothers is in the semi-desert flatlands east of Bend.
Burnt Corn, Alabama. About 80 miles northeast of Mobile.
Bust, Colorado. Near Colorado Springs. From the expression "Pikes Peak or Bust". Not listed in Encarta World Atlas or MapPoint and I can't find it in the Rand McNally or the Colorado state highway map so it may no longer exist.
Camp Eighteen, California
Carefree, Arizona (north-northeast of Phoenix). I do not know if the track "Carefree Highway" on Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" album is about a road near this town or not.
Cash Point, Louisiana
Cash Point, Tennessee
Choconut, Pennsylvania
Choconut Center, New York State. About twelve miles north-northwest of Choconut, Pennsylvania. Neither town is anywhere near Hershey, Pennsylvania :)
Clinton and Prosperity. I once saw a photograph of a signpost pointing to towns called Clinton and Prosperity in opposite directions, intended as an amusing comment on the president of the time. There are towns with these names in quite a few states but I haven't checked whether any pair are close enough to make it possible that the photograph was genuine rather than just a clever composition. In any case, with the current recession under a different president the joke has perhaps worn rather thin.
"Colo Spgs", Colorado. How Colorado Springs appears on some signposts in the area.
Common Fence Post, Rhode Island
Continental Divide. A line, often marked on maps, to the west of which water flows to the Pacific and to the east of which water flows to the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico.
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
Deception Pass State Park, Washington State
Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
Eight Square, Ohio
Eighty Eight, Kentucky
Eighty Four, Pennsylvania
Eleventh Siding (also called Medina), North Dakota
Federal Way, Washington State. On I-5 south of SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport).
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fifth Ward, Louisiana
Fiftysix, Craighead County, Arkansas
Fiftysix, Stone County, Arkansas
Figure Eight Island, North Carolina
Flin Flon, Manitoba. Named after Professor Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, a character in a novel by J. E. Preston-Muddock. I believe there is a large statue of the character in the town.
Flintstone, Maryland. On I-68 east of Cumberland, at exit 56.
Foggy Bottom. A common nickname for the US State Department, since that was the name of the area in which its headquarters building was constructed.
Forty, Minnesota
Forty Forks, Tennessee
Four Presidents Corners, Indiana
Four States, West Virginia. Presumably named for Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, although they are nowhere near meeting at a single point.
Four Town, Minnesota
Four Towns, Minnesota
Foxcatcher At Fair Hill, Maryland
Frankenstein, Missouri (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Front Royal, Virginia
Frostproof, Florida (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Gimli, Manitoba. On the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. The town's name pre-dates The Lord Of The Rings but the character name originates from one of the Icelandic sagas, I believe.
Gnaw Bone, Indiana. On Indiana State Highway 46 about 40 miles south of Indianapolis. My thanks to John Katzel of Cary, Illinois for suggesting this entry.
Half Day, Illinois. Just west of I-94 north of Chicago, near the I-294 interchange. Dave Krupka of Bolingbrook, Illinois says:
The popular misconception is that it used to be a "half day" horseback ride from Chicago (the distance is about right). Recent research has shown a local Indian chief had a name that translated something like "He who stands until the sun is at its highest". New settlers called him "Half Day", and named the town accordingly.Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretative Centre, Alberta. Near Fort Macleod, which is at the intersection of Highways 2 and 3 in southwestern Alberta. A historic site where the Indians stampeded buffalo over a cliff to kill them.
Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State. West of the Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
Hundred, West Virginia
Hungry Horse, Montana. Small town and nearby impressive dam and associated reservoir of the same name.
Hygiene, Colorado. About 30 miles north-northwest of Denver.
Imalone, Wisconsin (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Indiana, Pennsylvania. East of Pittburgh. A town, a county and the highly confusingly named Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania. My thanks to "J o h n" for suggesting this entry.
Island In The Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Jackpot, Nevada. On US93 very close to the border with Idaho. Only in a state famous for gambling could a town be called Jackpot.
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. On US209 west of I-476, on the Lehigh River between Allentown and Wilkes-Barre.
Jolly Corner, Florida
Jollytown, Pennsylvania
Kansas City, Missouri (interesting because it appears to be in the "wrong" state)
Keystone, South Dakota and many other states. I wonder if the police departments of these towns have problems finding recruits for the "Keystone Cops"?
King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania. About fifteen miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Kiosk, Ontario. On the northern edge of Algonquin Provincial Park.
Knockemstiff, Ohio (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Last Chance, California
Last Chance, Colorado (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Last Chance, Idaho
Last Chance, Iowa
Last Chance, North Carolina
Last Chance, Oklahoma
Last Chance, Yukon Territory
Little Hope, Georgia
Little Hope, Pennsylvania
Little Hope, Texas
Little Hope, Wisconsin
Looneyville, Texas (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Loveland, Colorado
Luckenbach, Texas. North of San Antonio. There is a Country and Western song with the dreadful pun: "I'm looking back to Luckenbach, Texas", originally recorded by Waylon Jennings I believe.
Medicine Bow, Wyoming. This town, featured in the classic television western series The Virginian, does actually exist. It is on US30 northwest of Laramie.
Medicine Hat, Alberta
Michigan City, Indiana (interesting because it appears to be in the "wrong" state)
Million, Kentucky. As far as I know, this is the highest value "number" town.
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona
Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park, Maine. Interesting because it is not a desert island.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
"Nawlins", Louisiana. How "New Orleans" is often pronounced.
Newcomerstown, Ohio. On US36, just west of I-77 north of its intersection with I-70.
Newport News, Virginia
Nine Times, South Carolina
Nineteen, Kentucky
Ninety Six Corners, New York State. As far as I know this is the highest number of "corners" in a town name.
Ninety Six National Historic Site, South Carolina. I think this name comes from the numbering of significant but previously unnamed geographical features (or perhaps of military encampments) during the Civil War.
Ninety-one, Oregon
Normal, Illinois. There is a road film called "Leaving Normal". In addition, Dave Krupka who lives near Chicago sent me this:
The oldest public, state run university in Illinois is Illinois State University, dating to 1857. As a state-funded institution, it was one of the first secular universities in the state. Since many of the others were run or dominated by religious orders, to set the new school apart it was originally named "Illinois State Normal University" to indicate no one sect held sway there - it was just "normal". The town that sprang up around the school was first named North Bloomington and then renamed Normal for obvious reasons. The school changed its name to Illinois State University in 1963.
My daughter graduated from there this past May with a BS in Psychology. We got the history lesson way back when she enrolled. I thought you might enjoy it.North East, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The town in Pennsylvia is in the northwest of the state, although it is in the northeast of the small section of Pennsylvania which touches Lake Erie. Thanks for Jason Dylik of Maryland for suggesting this entry.
North East Carry, Maine
North Pole, Alaska, Idaho, New York State and Oklahoma
Noyes, Minnesota
Noyes Junction, Minnesota. About 85 miles south of Noyes, Minnesota.
Noyes Terrace, New Hampshire
Noyes Island, Alaska
Noyes Mountain, Alaska. About 600 miles northwest of Noyes Island, Alaska.
(as far as I can discover there are no towns called Yesno, but there are towns called Maybee in Michigan and Ohio)
Number One, Kentucky
Number One Settlement, Nevada
Number Four, New York State
Number Five Mine, Pennsylvania
Number Seven, Montana
Number Eight, Missouri
Number Nine, Arkansas
Number Thirty-Seven, Pennsylvania
I suspect that least some of these town names come from the names of mines. There are more examples with prefixes which might be mining company names such as Edna Number Two, Herminie Number Two, Tower Hill Number Two and Reading Number Three, all in Pennsylvania.
Ohoo boo-oo (also called Los Ojos), New Mexico
Okay, Oklahoma (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Old Hundred, North Carolina
Peculiar, Missouri. On US71 south of Kansas City. Old Peculiar lies a few miles to the east.
Poughkeepsie, New York State
Pumpkin Center. There are towns with this name in numerous US states.
Purgatory, Colorado. On US550 north of Durango and actually a very beautiful place in the San Juan Mountains.
Reading Number Three, Pennsylvania
Remote, Oregon. On Oregon State Highway 42 between Roseburg (which is on I-5) and Coos Bay (which is on the coast and US101).
Rifle, Colorado
Rim Of The World Drive, California
Roachtown, Illinois (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Sample. There are small towns called Sample in Colorado, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas. There's a town called Sample Run in Pennsylvania, one called Samples in Arkansas and one called Samples Crossing in Montana.
Santa Claus. With so many "Santa" towns (Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Fe and so on) there had to be at least one town called Santa Claus. In fact I can find three, one in Arizona (on US93 north of Kingman), one in Georgia (on US1 just south of I-16 between Macon and Savannah) and a third in Indiana (south of I-64 west of Louisville).
Secret, Nevada. About 25 miles southwest of Wells.
Secret Town, California. About 20 miles northeast of Auburn.
Section Thirty, Minnesota
Sedro Woolley, Washington State. To me, the name of this small town in northwestern Washington State sounds as if it is a character in the long-running BBC Radio serial about country folk, "The Archers".
Seven, Tennessee
Seven Persons, Alberta
Seventeen, Ohio
Seventy Six, Kentucky
Seventysix, Missouri
Show Low, Arizona
Simplicity, Virginia. On US360 southwest of Richmond.
Six, West Virginia
Sixteen, Iowa
Sixteen, Montana
Sixty Six, South Carolina
Skidoo, California. In Death Valley National Park.
Sleeping Ute Mountain, Colorado. A mountain near Cortez in southwestern Colorado which from some angles has the appearance of an Indian (Native American) lying down asleep.
Snowflake, Arizona
Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. On US27 northeast of Chattanooga, logically enough between the towns of Soddy and Daisy.
Spotsylvania, Virginia
St Paul, Minnesota. Dave Krupka of Bolingbrook, Illinois says:
The first name for Minnesota's state capital of St. Paul was Pig's Eye. It seems that was a nickname for a French-Canadian saloon keeper, Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant, who was the first settler, and it was applied to the small village that sprung up. Renaming that one was probably a good idea!State Line, Arkansas. About two miles north of the border with Louisiana and about four miles west of US371, southeast of Texarkana.
State Line, Connecticut. On the border with Massachusetts, east-southeast of Springfield, on Connecticut State Highway 32.
State Line, St Joseph County, Indiana. On the border with Michigan, north of South Bend.
State Line, Vigo County, Indiana. On the border with Illinois, on I-70 west of Terre Haute.
State Line, Kansas. Also called Opolis. On the border with Missouri, north of Joplin.
State Line, Kentucky. Just north of the border with Tennessee, just east of the Mississippi River.
State Line, Massachusetts. On the border with New York State, on I-90, southwest of Pittsfield.
State Line, Minnesota. On the border with Wisconsin, south of I-35 and Jay Cooke State Park, southwest of Duluth and Superior.
State Line, Mississippi. About a mile and a half west of the border with Alabama, close to US45, north-northwest of Mobile.
State Line, Clark County, Nevada. On the border with California, on I-15, south-southwest of Las Vegas. There is the inevitable collection of casinos but also a useful Nevada Welcome Centre.
State Line, New Hampshire. On the border with Massachusetts, on New Hampshire State Highway 12.
State Line, Chautuaqua County, New York State. On the border with Pennsylvania, just south of I-90 very close to the Lake Erie shore.
State Line, Dutchess County, New York State. On the border with Connecticut, just north of US44.
State Line, Pennsylvania. On the border with Maryland, just west of US220, north of Cumberland.
State Line, Tennessee. On the border with Kentucky, on US27, north-northwest of Knoxville.
State Line, Texas. On the border with New Mexico, on US62 east of Hobbs.
State Line Village, Idaho. On the border with Washington State, on I-90 between Coeur d'Alene and Spokane.
Stateline, California. On the border with Nevada, on US50, on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe.
Stateline, Douglas County, Nevada. On the border with California, on US50, on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe. Continuous with Stateline, California.
Stateline, Washington State. On the border with Oregon, southwest of Walla Walla.
Stinkingwater Pass, Oregon. On US20 in eastern Oregon.
Superior Upland. That part of the Canadian Shield which lies in northwestern Michigan, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, i.e. south and west of Lake Superior.
Sweet Gum, Georgia
Sweet Gum Head, on the border of Alabama and Florida
Sweetgum, North Carolina
Sweetgum, Tennessee
Tacky Town, Kentucky
Telephone, Texas
Temple Of Sinawava, Zion National Park, Utah. The area at the start of the Riverside Walk/Narrows Trail.
Ten Degree, Maine
Ten Sleep, Wyoming. A small town on US16 just west of the Bighorn Mountains.
Ten Spot, Kentucky
Tent City, Michigan
Texaco Town, New York State
Texline, Texas. Near the border with New Mexico. On US87 northwest of Dalhart.
The (also called Shawkemo), Massachusetts
The American Village (a neighbourhood of Durham), North Carolina
The Bend, Ohio
The Black Cat, North Carolina
The Bottle, Alabama
The Borough, North Carolina
The Breakers, Mississippi
The Burg, Illinois
The Colony, Texas
The Cross Roads, Virginia
The Crossing, Virginia
The Crossing, Nevada
The Crossroads, Texas
The Dalles, Oregon (the only large town that I know of in the USA with the word "The" in its name)
The Diamonds, Missouri
The Drifttracks, Alabama
The Eastern, Ohio
The Fifth Siding (also called Antelope), North Dakota
The Five Corners, New Hampshire
The Flatts, West Virginia
The Forks, California
The Forks, Maine
The Four Corners, Maine
The Gap, Arizona
The Hamlet, Delaware
The Hills Of Skyline, Delaware
The Holy City, Oklahoma
The Island, Vermont
The Jackpines, Michigan
The Jungle (a neighbourhood of St Petersburg), Florida
The Lead Belt, Missouri
The Mileground, West Virginia
The Parks, Louisiana
The Pas, Manitoba (the only large town that I know of in Canada with the word "The" in its name)
The Rock, Georgia
The Rocks, Kentucky
The Two Rivers, Saskatchewan
The Villa, Delaware
The Village, Alabama
The Village, Oklahoma
The Vly, New York State
The White House Landing, Michigan
The Wye, Tennessee
The X (a neighbourhood of Springfield), Massachusetts
The Y, Tennessee
The Y, West Virginia
(see also "Two-state-name" towns)
Thirteen Forks, Georgia
Thirty, Iowa
Thousandsticks, Kentucky
Three States, Louisiana. Very close to the point where Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas meet.
Three States, Missouri. Near far from the point where Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee meet.
Three V Crossing, North Dakota
Three Way Corner, Oklahoma
Tightwad, Missouri (my thanks to Fritz Rambow for suggesting this entry)
Tiny, Virginia
Tiny (census tract), Ontario
Tiny Oak Fork, North Carolina
Tiny Town, Colorado
Tiny Town, on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee
Tinytown, Virginia
Toad Hop, Indiana
Toadtown, California
Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. The citizens of this town in southwestern New Mexico voted to rename it after a well-known radio programme.
Tuba City, Arizona
Twenty Row, Pennsylvania
Twentysix, Kentucky
Twentythree, Arkansas
Two Egg, Florida
Two F Crossing, Texas
Two Guns, Arizona
"Two-state-name" and "two-province-name" towns:
Valley Heights, West Virginia
Wah Wah Springs, Utah
Wahoo. There are towns called Wahoo in Florida, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Walla Walla, Washington State. I do not know of any other towns with names consisting of a single word repeated.
Walled Lake, Michigan. On the northwestern outskirts of Detroit. There is a lake of the same name nearby.
Walters Wiggles, Zion National Park, Utah. A steep zig-zag path, part of the trail to Angels Landing.
Wawa, Ontario, Canada
Weed, California. About 60 miles north of Redding. There are small towns with the same name in several other states.
Weekiwachee Springs, Florida. On US19 north of Tampa/St Petersburg.
What Cheer, Iowa. East southeast of Des Moines.
Wheel Of Fortune, US Virgin Islands (a gambling resort, maybe?)
Why, Arizona (just a guess, but this name might have come from a railway reversing wye, possibly)
Wimp, California. About 12 miles north of Visalia.
Wynot, Nebraska
Yahoo, a district of Manhattan Borough, New York City.
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yeehaw, Florida (my thanks to Kerry Brunson for suggesting this entry)
Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Yonkers. There are towns called Yonkers in Georgia, Maryland, New York State and Oklahoma.
You Bet, California. A small town north of I-80 east of Auburn.
Zero, Iowa
Zero, Montana
Zzyzx, California. In the Mojave Desert off I-15 near Baker. Now abandoned and therefore not listed in the Rand McNally Road Atlas, Encarta World Atlas or MapPoint. External links: http://www.travelbyroad.net/articles/zzyzx and http://www.roadtripamerica.com/signs/zzyzx.htm (both verified Oct-02).
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Most recently modified 11-Feb-07