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About This Quiz
When the first European explorers came to America, they had no idea that this "New World" would transform into the vast country it is today, with 50 states and thousands of cities stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. But that's exactly what happened, as the phrase "from sea to shining sea" became a reality.
One of the more unique aspects of America's growth is how diverse the country has become during the transition from 13 colonies seeking independence to a nation filled with various ethnic groups who speak hundreds of languages. The unique cultures of these different groups have shaped cities all across the United States, no matter how far north or south they might be. After all, a city sitting on the coast of Oregon is far different from one located in the rural South, but they are still united in the American experience.
How familiar are you with the locations of famous and unique cities across America? Whether they're an hour apart or a day's drive, will you know which city is located further north on a map? Here's your chance to find out. When you're ready, take a shot at this quiz to see how well you know the makeup of America.
Los Angeles
Today, Los Angeles is known for its sports and ties to the movie industry, but the city was once a huge producer of oil, which was discovered there in 1892. Even today, the city contains one of the largest oil fields in the United States.
San Diego
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No, Birmingham is further north.
Yes, Atlanta is north of Birmingham.
For people visiting Atlanta, directions can get quite confusing, especially if they're searching for any road called Peachtree. Dozens of streets throughout the city carry this name, which is derived from a Native American village and not from an actual peach tree.
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Seattle is above Olympia.
George Vancouver, a British explorer, was the first European to pass through what is now Seattle. He made his way to the region in 1792 while he was on a voyage to map out the West Coast.
Olympia is further north.
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St. Louis
Indianapolis
The Indianapolis 500 is one of the oldest automobile races that's still being held annually. The first race took place in 1911 and was won by Ray Harroun. He raced in a car he helped engineer, called the Marmon Wasp.
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Columbus is north of Cincinnati.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the government in Ohio struggled to settle on a capital for the state, moving it several times before choosing a central location in 1812. Columbus was incorporated in 1816.
You'd be further north in Cincinnati.
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Houston is north of Dallas on a map.
Dallas is the more northern city on a map.
Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys, an NFL franchise that's known as "America's Team" because of its winning record and fame. The franchise saw the peak of its success in the '90s when it had three Super Bowl-winning teams.
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They would travel north to get to Philadelphia.
It would take a trip north to get to Boston from Philadelphia.
Many key events during the American Revolution took place in Boston, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Both events escalated tensions between the colonies and the British Crown, which ultimately made war inevitable.
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Tombstone
Santa Fe
Santa Fe, the capital of New Mexico, was a Spanish colony in the 17th century, as Spaniards were the first Europeans to reach the area during the Age of Exploration. The city's full founding name reveals its Spanish roots: La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis.
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Orlando is north of Miami.
Unlike many popular cities in Florida, Orlando does not sit on the ocean, but it is home to two major theme parks and resorts — Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World. These destinations attract millions of visitors each year, making Orlando one of the most visited cities in the United States.
Miami is the northernmost city.
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Baltimore
Catholicism has major ties to Baltimore, as the first U.S. Roman Catholic diocese was founded there in 1789. By 1821, a cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was opened.
Washington, D.C.
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Chattanooga
Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee, hosted the World's Fair in 1982, where the touchscreen was demonstrated for the first time. The price for entry into the fair was $15.19 plus tax for two days.
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Milwaukee sits further north.
German immigrants in the middle of the 19th century helped shape Milwaukee into a brewing town. Seeking refuge from their home country, which was in turmoil at the time, these Germans immediately incorporated brewing practices that had been developed over centuries in Germany.
Chicago is north of Milwaukee.
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Yes, you have to go north to get to Salem from Portland.
No, Portland is north of Salem.
Portland, Oregon, has some oddities that have shaped the city into the unique cultural center it is today. One of its unique traditions is the World Naked Bike Ride, which takes place annually in the city.
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Juneau
Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska, was hit by the strongest earthquake in North American history, which measured at a magnitude of 9.2, on March 27, 1964. The earthquake devastated the city's infrastructure and took 115 lives in Alaska. Oregon and California reported a combined total of 16 fatalities as well.
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Yes, Albany is north of New York City.
Theodore Roosevelt, who served as the governor of New York before becoming president, used to run up and down the steps at the state capitol in Albany, New York, for exercise. Known for his competitiveness, Roosevelt even challenged reporters to beat him to the top if they wanted an interview.
No, New York City sits north of Albany.
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Charlotte
Raleigh
Raleigh gets its name from Sir Walter Raleigh, an English explorer. Because of the vast number of oak trees located throughout the city, it was also given the nickname City of Oaks by the city's founding fathers.
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Baton Rouge is north of New Orleans.
Baton Rouge, which is French for "red stick," gets its name from an actual red stick spotted by the French explorer Sieur d'Iberville. The stick, made of cypress wood and covered in animal blood, was used to divide territories between two Native American tribes.
New Orleans is north of Baton Rouge.
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Yes, Las Vegas is further north.
No, Carson City is north of Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is often mistaken as the capital of Nevada, but that honor goes to Carson City. Originally a stopover for people heading to California, the city grew in popularity in the 19th century when silver was found in the Comstock Lode.
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San Francisco is the northernmost city.
Sacramento is further north.
Covered in elms, oaks and sycamores, Sacramento, California, received the nickname City of Trees for a reason. In fact, the city has more trees per capita than any other major city in the United States.
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Colorado Springs
Denver
Visitors to Denver, Colorado, will immediately notice the skies are much bluer, and it's not a trick. The city's sky views benefit from the high elevation and little water vapor, which means the sun is usually shining over Denver.
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Lansing is north of Detroit.
Detroit was actually the first capital of Michigan, but there were concerns because the city was close to Canada, which was controlled by Britain at the time. The capital was moved to Lansing in 1847, where it's been located ever since.
Detroit is further north.
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Oklahoma City
Salt Lake City
Even though the roots of Kentucky Fried Chicken can be traced back to North Corbin, Kentucky, the first location to actually carry the name Kentucky Fried Chicken was located in Salt Lake City. The original restaurant in Kentucky was called Sanders Court and Cafe.
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Yes, Nashville is north of Jackson.
Nicknamed Music City, Nashville, Tennessee, is known for its vibrant music culture. Its early reputation as a music town can be traced to the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, an a capella group composed of African American singers. Their performance greatly pleased Queen Victoria back in the 1800s, and she remarked that they must be from a city of music.
No, you'd be further north in Jackson.
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Of course, Lexington is north of Frankfort.
No, Frankfort is the northernmost city.
Frankfort, Kentucky, is named after American pioneer Stephen Frank, who was killed by Native Americans at the end of the 18th century. According to tradition, Frank was killed near a ford in the Kentucky River, thus the name "Frank's Ford."
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Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina, was named in honor of King Charles II of England. The original settlers of the region honored Charles II after they helped restore him to power in 1660, which resulted in the king rewarding them with the Carolina territory.
Savannah
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Tampa is further north.
Tallahassee is north of Tampa.
The Civil War devastated the South — Union Forces captured capital after capital throughout the region as the war came to a close. However, Tallahassee, Florida, is the only Southern capital east of the Mississippi River that was not taken by the Union.
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Austin sits north of San Antonio.
Most people are familiar with Silicon Valley in San Francisco, but fewer know that Austin, Texas, is known as Silicon Hills for many of the same reasons. Today, the city is home to numerous tech companies, including IBM, Dell computers and Google.
San Antonio is the northernmost city.
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Yes, Richmond is north.
When Virginia decided to secede from the Union after the attack on Fort Sumter, the capital of the Confederacy was moved from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia. The move was made because of Virginia's history as a leader during the American Revolution, along with its manufacturing importance.
No, Norfolk is further north.
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Minneapolis
Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota, did not receive its current name until 1873, when the Northern Pacific Railway named it after Otto Von Bismarck. Previously, the city had been called Edwinton, after Edwin F. Johnson.
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Obviously, because Topeka is north of Wichita.
Former Vice President Charles Curtis, who served under Herbert Hoover, was from Topeka, Kansas. A member of the Kaw Nation, Curtis remains the only Native American to ever serve as vice president of the United States.
Nope, Wichita is the more northern city.
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Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee, received its name from Memphis, Egypt. In Egypt, Memphis served as an ancient capital of the Egyptian dynasties before it was moved to Alexandria, sometime in the 4th century B.C.
Little Rock
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Pittsburgh
Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers, lived in Pittsburgh for quite a while, when he filmed his show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The show was filmed at WQED, a television station affiliated with PBS.
Philadelphia
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Charleston
Morgantown
West Virginia was once part of Virginia, but it split off from its mother state during the Civil War because residents in the western half of the state didn't support secession. When West Virginia obtained statehood on June 20, 1863, Morgantown was part of the new state.
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Yes, San Jose is north of Reno.
No, Reno is north of San Jose.
The history of blue jeans can be traced back to Reno, Nevada, where a tailor named Jacob Davis first started working on them for miners who needed sturdier clothing. Eventually, Davis teamed up with Levi Strauss to patent the idea, and, thanks to that patent, mom and dad jeans are embarrassing kids everywhere.
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Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska, was the location of a Japanese balloon bomb explosion during WWII, which occurred in the city's Dundee neighborhood. It's one of only a few Japanese bombs to make it that far inland.
Lincoln
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Yes, because Ocean City is north of Atlantic City.
Nope, Atlantic City is further north.
Atlantic City, New Jersey, was home to the first Miss America Pageant, which was held there in 1921. The pageant was an attempt to attract visitors to the city after Labor Day, when the beaches weren't as much of an attraction.
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Phoenix
There's plenty of mystery as to how Phoenix, Arizona, got its name, but one story follows Darrell Duppa, a graduate of Cambridge. According to the story, Duppa saw the ruins of Hohokam and believed another civilization would rise in its place, just like the phoenix of legend.
Tucson
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You'll find Boise further north.
The Boise State Broncos are a popular college football team, especially for residents of Idaho. The school is known for its famous blue turf, located at Albertsons Stadium. This field was the first university football field covered in a color other than green, and the school even patented the idea.
A map will tell you Cheyenne is the northernmost city.
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Chicago, just barely
Chicago was a popular location for alcohol consumption throughout the '20s and early '30s, after alcohol was prohibited nationwide. Al Capone, a bootlegger in Chicago, made millions of dollars during this time by providing illegal beverages to residents of the city.
Cleveland, by a nose
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Augusta
This one was tough — Augusta is ever-so-slightly further north than Montpelier! The history of Augusta, Maine, dates back to before the American Revolution. Part of that history can be seen at Fort Western, a National Historic Landmark, which is the oldest wooden fort in the United States.
Montpelier
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You Got:
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