---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 01:39:18 CDT
From: Joseph McCollum <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Queen cities (geotrivia) (fwd)


On Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:08:17 -0400 Johnnie Sutherland
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 23:09:04 -0400
>From: Nat Case <[log in to unmask]>
>To: maps-l <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Queen cities (geotrivia)
>
>I just had an editing question come up in regards to "queen cities",
>which
>in US usage are cities which are the largest in their state, but are
>not the
>state capital. Is there an equivalent usage in other countries or
>languages?
>
>Just for fun, I compiled a list of US queen cities. There were several
>surprises, including some pretty recent population shifts (Just 20
>years
>ago, Bismarck (N Dakota) beat Grand Rapids, and Cleveland (Ohio) beat
>Columbus).
>
>Here's the list of current queen cities:
>
>Alaska-Anchorage
>California-Los Angeles
>Connecticut-Bridgeport
>Florida-Miami
>Illinois-Chicago
>Kansas-Wichita
>Kentucky-Louisville
>Louisiana-New Orleans
>Maine-Portland
>Maryland-Baltimore
>Michigan-Detroit
>Minnesota-Minneapolis
>Missouri-Kansas City
>Montana-Billings
>Nebraska-Omaha
>Nevada-Las Vegas
>New Hampshire-Manchester
>New Jersey-Newark
>New Mexico-Albuquerque
>New York-New York
>North Carolina-Charlotte
>North Dakota-Grand Forks
>Oregon-Portland
>Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
>South Dakota-Sioux Falls
>Tennessee-Memphis
>Texas-Houston
>Vermont-Burlington
>Virginia-Virginia Beach
>Washington-Seattle
>Wisconsin-Milwaukee
>
>Nat Case
>Hedberg Maps, Inc.

Are you sure?  Buffalo, NY has referred to itself as the "Queen City" --
not at any time has Buffalo's population exceeded New York City.  is
Buffalo is the "Queen City" of Lake Erie?

I've never been, but a road atlas shows that Allentown, PA's airport is
the "Allentown-Queen City" Airport.  I suppose someone might use it en
route to Philadelphia, but I doubt it.

I asked someone at the Cincinnati Visitor's Bureau why Cincinnati was
called the "Queen City."  The person there gave some answer like "because
it is beautiful."

I thought it might have been because it was the "second largest."  That
would explain Buffalo, Cincinnati, and New Orleans (making St. Louis the
King City of the Mississippi).