This is true? - Geographic oddities that defy conventional wisdom

[Max Rockatansky]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinas,_California
Here is another one Salinas, CA is the largest city in Monterey County, CA and not Monterey City proper itself.

There are a couple of cities in California that are not only not the most populous city in the eponymous county, but aren't even in located the eponymous county:
Sutterville is in Sacramento County, not Sutter
Placerville is in El Dorado County, not Placer
Yuba City is in Sutter County, not Yuba

San Joaquin is in Fresno County and not San Joaquin County. 

[tckma]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salinas,_California
Here is another one Salinas, CA is the largest city in Monterey County, CA and not Monterey City proper itself.

There are a couple of cities in California that are not only not the most populous city in the eponymous county, but aren't even in located the eponymous county:
Sutterville is in Sacramento County, not Sutter
Placerville is in El Dorado County, not Placer
Yuba City is in Sutter County, not Yuba

Is this one of those weird things like the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia is Fairfax City, which is not itself located within Fairfax County?

[CNGL-Leudimin]

We all know municipalities that get across a county line (something that would be against conventional wisdom in Europe). But here is one case, where a city extends some of its powers (notably land surveying) across an international border!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A4germoos

[NWI_Irish96]

This seemed like the best thread to leave this:

Final Jeopardy today: Interstate 25 connects these two state capitals with the highest elevations, and runs through 3rd place Denver in between.

One of the guesses was WHAT ARE ALBANY AND BOSTON?

Not kidding.

[kphoger]

This seemed like the best thread to leave this:

Final Jeopardy today: Interstate 25 connects these two state capitals with the highest elevations, and runs through 3rd place Denver in between.

One of the guesses was WHAT ARE ALBANY AND BOSTON?

Not kidding.

It's wrong on so many levels, but my favorite is that the person guessed a coastal city for "highest elevations".

[CtrlAltDel]

Cheyenne and Santa Fe?

[kirbykart]

This seemed like the best thread to leave this:

Final Jeopardy today: Interstate 25 connects these two state capitals with the highest elevations, and runs through 3rd place Denver in between.

One of the guesses was WHAT ARE ALBANY AND BOSTON?

Not kidding.

FritzOwl ought to make an Interstate that runs from Albany to Boston, going through Denver in between.

[NWI_Irish96]

Cheyenne and Santa Fe?

Yes, that's correct.

[GaryV]

My "Is This True?" moment was finding out that Denver wasn't the highest. With all the hype as the Mile High City, I didn't consider that other state capitals could be higher.

[Scott5114]

Cheyenne and Santa Fe?

Yes, that's correct.

No, it's not; he didn't phrase it in the form of a question.

[kphoger]

Cheyenne and Santa Fe?

Yes, that's correct.

No, it's not; he didn't phrase it in the form of a question.

The question mark should count.   

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I was surprised to find Santa Fe is over 7,000 ft in elevation, I thought it was far lower than that. That belief also applied to Albuquerque. Heck, now I see El Paso has a 4 figure elevation even in metric.

[Scott5114]

Basically the entire I-40 corridor from Oklahoma City to Moriarty NM increases in elevation as you go west. It's just so gradual that it looks "flat". That is, until you get to Tijeras Canyon just east of Albuquerque, which is where the Great Plains ends and the mountains of the West begin.

[J N Winkler]

I stumbled across this fact while digging up information on Cherry County, Nebraska:  with the exceptions of Kalawao County, Hawaii and Petroleum County, Montana, the 12 least-populous US counties are all in Nebraska or Texas.

[kalvado]

I stumbled across this fact while digging up information on Cherry County, Nebraska:  with the exceptions of Kalawao County, Hawaii and Petroleum County, Montana, the 12 least-populous US counties are all in Nebraska or Texas.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-least-populated-us-counties.html
in the last 10, there are  1 HI, 1 AK,  1 MT, 3 TX, 4 NE

http://www.davickservices.com/america%27s_100_lonliest_counties.htm
Yakutat county in AK is 12 in this list. Although with 10-11-12 places being close at 633/637/642 population, a single family moving in/out can shuffle the deck.

[dvferyance]

Marquette Michigan is in EST even though it is west of Milwaukee. Puerto Vallarta Mexico is in CST despite being on the Pacific Coast.

[GaryV]

Puerto Vallarta Mexico is in CST despite being on the Pacific Coast.

Your point is? That Mexico and Central America bend to the east? Chile is the same time zone as Atlantic Canada, despite being on the Pacific Ocean.

[Rothman]

Puerto Vallarta Mexico is in CST despite being on the Pacific Coast.

Your point is? That Mexico and Central America bend to the east? Chile is the same time zone as Atlantic Canada, despite being on the Pacific Ocean.

I thought his point about Central and South America swinging further east than common perception was well-made, despite it being generally known in the niche knowledge of members on here.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

The French Assembly constituencies actually cover most of the World, not only La France and its possessions. Thus, you are actually living in the 1st French overseas constituency in addition to your Congressional district, while I am in the 5th one (although not far from the border with department 64 (Pyrenees Atlantiques)'s 4th constituency). However they are only meaningful to French citizens.

[Rothman]

The French Assembly constituencies actually cover most of the World, not only La France and its possessions. Thus, you are actually living in the 1st French overseas constituency in addition to your Congressional district, while I am in the 5th one (although not far from the border with department 64 (Pyrenees Atlantiques)'s 4th constituency). However they are only meaningful to French citizens.

French Citizens Overseas Constituencies, anyway.

[Road Hog]

Ever met a fried Frenchman? 

[Bruce]

The French Assembly constituencies actually cover most of the World, not only La France and its possessions. Thus, you are actually living in the 1st French overseas constituency in addition to your Congressional district, while I am in the 5th one (although not far from the border with department 64 (Pyrenees Atlantiques)'s 4th constituency). However they are only meaningful to French citizens.

Not common but also not rare. Italy and Tunisia both have more than a dozen overseas constituencies, while the US Democratic Party holds primaries for voters abroad.

[Rothman]

The French Assembly constituencies actually cover most of the World, not only La France and its possessions. Thus, you are actually living in the 1st French overseas constituency in addition to your Congressional district, while I am in the 5th one (although not far from the border with department 64 (Pyrenees Atlantiques)'s 4th constituency). However they are only meaningful to French citizens.

Not common but also not rare. Italy and Tunisia both have more than a dozen overseas constituencies, while the US Democratic Party holds primaries for voters abroad.

Republicans still encourage expats to vote through absentee ballot, despite not having the formal process for expat delegates like Democrats Abroad or whatever it's called.

[Scott5114]

Democrats Abroad is only for Presidential primaries, however. All other elections you just vote absentee in whatever constituency you lived in last before going abroad.

[Road Hog]

At the peak of the Cold War before the Wall fell there were more than a million Americans living in West Germany, mostly soldiers and their dependents. That was more than 12 states and DC in the 1980 Census.