The City With the Shortest Name in Every State

Source: John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons

21. Massachusetts
> Shortest town name: Lynn
> Population: 93,617

The city of Lynn, Massachusetts, actually predates the U.S. The city that became Lynn was founded in 1630. Settlers who moved to Lynn from nearby Salem initially called the city Saugus, but once its first minister came from King’s Lynn, England, the townspeople renamed the city Lynn in his honor.

Source: Andrew Jameson / Wikimedia Commons

22. Michigan
> Shortest town name: Troy
> Population: 83,881

Troy was first settled by pioneers who traveled from the city of the same name in New York in the 1820s. Once known for its agriculture, Troy has blossomed into a suburb of over 80,000 people. The city is home to several universities and upscale shopping experiences that bring customers across city and even state lines to buy high-end merchandise.

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The Surprising Stories Behind 50 Country Names

Source: Bjoertvedt / Wikimedia Commons

23. Minnesota
> Shortest town name: Ely
> Population: 3,398

The Ely, Minnesota, area was settled by Native Americans before white settlers were attracted by what they believed was gold in the area. The discovery turned out to be iron pyrite or fool’s gold. However, that led to the discovery of iron ore deposits.

Source: Skye Marthaler / Wikimedia Commons

24. Mississippi
> Shortest town name: Iuka
> Population: 2,978

Founded in 1857, the city of Iuka was built on a Chickasaw native reserve. Named after Chief Iuka, the town is near the only area in Mississippi that was subject to battle during the Civil War.

Source: Google maps data 2017

25. Missouri
> Shortest town name: Ava
> Population: 2,916

Like many other places on this list, Ava, Missouri, has gone through a historical name change. The town was first called Militia Springs because during the Civil War, Missouri’s Union militia camped out around the area. It was renamed Ava in 1881.