The City With the Shortest Name in Every State

Source: Jeffrey Beall / Wikimedia Commons

6. Colorado
> Shortest town name: Rye
> Population: 185

Rye, Colorado, located in the San Isabel foothills, got its name specifically because it’s so short. The town was originally named Table Top Mountain, but post office workers said that was too long. They got their wish for a shorter name and it was changed to Rye.

Source: Ravi-Shah / Wikimedia Commons

7. Connecticut
> Shortest town name: Derby
> Population: 12,596

Not only does Derby hold the shortest name for Connecticut, but it’s also its smallest city. Located between rivers, the city was colonized by early settlers who named the area after Derby, England in 1675. Today Derby benefits from its relative proximity to larger cities. New Haven and Bridgeport are within commuting distance, and New York City is less than two hours away by train.

Source: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD / Wikimedia Commons

8. Delaware
> Shortest town name: Dover
> Population: 37,331

The name “Dover” may be short, but the city isn’t short on things to do. Dover just so happens to be Delaware’s capital city. The city is just a handful of miles away from Delaware Bay and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

Source: chapstickaddict / Flickr

9. Florida
> Shortest town name: Jay
> Population: 396

Jay, typical small town U.S.A., is about 1.7 square miles in Santa Rosa County, not far from the Alabama border. It was incorporated in 1951 and named after its first postmaster, J.T. Nowling. The median household income is almost $40,000 and the median property value is about $70,000.

Source: Google Maps data 2017

10. Georgia
> Shortest town name: Ila
> Population: 405

Though Ila, Georgia, has a unique name, its first moniker was downright strange. Settled in 1879, the town that became Ila was first called “0’possum” (Yes, that’s a zero there, not an “O.”). It was later changed to Ila after “a very beautiful little girl” from the community.