Cities that are local hubs of commerce with smaller populations. One I'd say is Florence, SC.
Town of about 38K, but punches above its weight in a lot of ways. Has a major interstate junction (I-20 and I-95 just outside town), has two enclosed malls, a four-year university (Francis Marion), and is the halfway point between New York and Miami on I-95, so it basically has every major hotel chain except for the luxury ones.
Also has a 10,000 seat arena which had a minor league hockey team for 8 years. Pretty much the major retail and job hub for a 10 county area (Florence, Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee in SC, Scotland, Robeson and Richmond in NC).
Yet most people even in SC don't know much about it.
What about your area?
Let's see for Michigan:
For the U.P. there are probably a few hubs. Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Houghton.
For the Lower Peninsula. Alpena is by far the largest city in the sparsely populated NE corner and is the hub of the region.
Traverse City is probably smaller than people think it is but that's also a hub and a small city.
Bad Axe for the Thumb.
Someone else from Michigan could probably add a few others.
Tehachapi is a major stopping point at the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains but only has a population of about 14k.
Greenfield is the major city in northwestern Mass. with a population of 17k. Northern Berkshires have North Adams, with a population of 13k.
Portland, TN (pop 13k). About 30 minutes north of Nashville, Portland has ≈20 distribution centers including ones for FedEx and Macy's among others. A lot of the growth is evidenced in the roadwork on TN-109 including the widening south of Portland, the new interchange with I-65, and the proposed bypass of Portland. Portland's population is expected to increase by 2,000 for the 2020 census (per Google estimate)
For Minnesota it's places like Marshall (college), Morris (college), Virginia/Hibbing (regional centers), Winona (college), Grand Rapids (tourism!, Baxter/Brainerd (more Baxter these days, tourism), Bemidji (college/tourism), Albert Lea (interstate junction)
Minocqua and Woodruff WI are both unincorporated, yet they're the most important towns for at least 35-40 miles in each direction.
Florence is probably the best example, but South Carolina has several.
Walterboro has a population of 5,500, but it acts like a town at least 2-3 times its size. It has a Starbucks, a movie theater, 2 Subways, 2 McDonalds, and is the center of commerce for probably 20-25 miles around it. It also is the southern terminus of US 15.
Newberry, Moncks Corner, and Union also are hubs. Moncks Corner's population went from 8,000 in 2010 to about 12,000 now, but it has every fast-food place, and people drive to their Walmart from miles and miles around.
South Hill, VA
Emporia, VA
Roanoke Rapids, NC
Quote from: Takumi on August 30, 2020, 11:00:05 PM
South Hill, VA
Emporia, VA
Roanoke Rapids, NC
Agree with all of those. Especially Emporia and Roanoke Rapids. It's amazing what being on I-95 does for a town's commerce. Hundreds of thousands or millions of people stop there every year because of the I-95 exits.
Lumberton, NC too. Five I-95 exits. Punches way above its weight with sit-down places too. Town of 20K and feels like a much bigger city from 95, compared to bypassed Fayetteville.
Storrs, CT. Home of the University of Connecticut... and little else. The population is 15,344; most of whom are campus residents. A lot of retail has built up in the area surrounding the campus, but go or 3 miles away and you're essentially in farmland and wooded areas.
Torrington and Putnam are also tiny hubs in that they are retail centers with little in the surrounding area. Torrington is in Litchfield County, 20 miles from Waterbury and 30 miles from Hartford, with nothing of significance to the north and west for retail (a couple stores in Winsted and Canaan, but really, we're talking Great Barrington and Poughkeepsie before anything big). Putnam is an oasis about 30 miles from both Worcester and Providence, and benefits from being along I-395 and US 44 as kind of a stopping off point in the highway void between Hartford and Providence.
I would have to say my current hometown of Mason City, IA is one. It is the only Walmart and Target for miles around. There's a number of national chain or local chain restaurants only in Mason City, where the next closest of the chain is Waterloo/Cedar Falls. Everyone who needs something more than basic health care goes to MercyOne hospital here. This is probably the only city for miles around where there are more jobs not directly linked to agriculture than ones with a direct link. About the only thing in the area that's not agricultural that not in Mason City is the Diamond Jo Casino at the Northwood exit of I-35.
Also in northern lower Michigan, Gaylord and Petoskey both have populations under 6,000 in the city limits, but do have the following chains that typically don't go into towns of that size:
Shopping
Aldi (both)
Bed Bath and Beyond (Petoskey)
Big Lots (Gaylord)
Hobby Lobby (both)
Home Depot (both)
HomeGoods (Petoskey)
JoAnn Fabrics (Petoskey)
Kohl's (Gaylord)
Lowe's (both)
Marshalls (Petoskey)
Meijer (both)
PetSmart (Gaylord)
T.J. Maxx (Gaylord)
Walmart (both)
Restaurants
Applebee's (both)
Bob Evans (both) - the two northernmost locations of that chain
Buffalo Wild Wings (both)
Five Guys (Gaylord) - Traverse City doesn't even have Five Guys AFAIK
Panera Bread (Gaylord)
Qdoba (Gaylord)
Starbucks (both)
For comparison, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Ludington, and Manistee all have more people in the city limits than Petoskey or Gaylord, but don't have most of these chains (they all have Meijer).
Two possible factors on how Gaylord and Petoskey got all of these places:
1. The K-12 enrollment of the schools (both Petoskey and Gaylord are home to school districts that have over 3,000 kids K-12)
2. The freeway factor (only applies to Gaylord)
While it doesn't count as "tiny", Dothan AL supports commercial development beyond what you might expect from its growing population due to its role as a commercial hub for southeast Alabama.
The closest thing New York has to a Florence, SC style example is... Watertown?
There's not really anything else that punches well above its weight in terms of population vs. importance.
Maybe Limon, CO? Crossroads of US24, US40, US287, CO71, and I-70. Not much else out in eastern Colorado, especially in the central-eastern part of the state.
Chris
Sikeston, MO (pop. 16K). Has three U.S Highways (60, 61, 62) and two Interstates (55, 57). It is the largest city in the Missouri portion of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and is approximately alf way between STL and Memphis on I-55. From Sikeston, US 60 is a four-lane expressway to Springfield, MO. It is served by BNSF tracks (North/South) and was served by U.P. (East/West?) up until tracks were removed last decade.
Quote from: Takumi on August 30, 2020, 11:00:05 PM
Emporia, VA
Their police department sure do love the town being a "mini hub". Not only do they take in money from businesses, the highway itself is a cash cow. In this case, it's both I-95 and US-58. Don't go above 70 mph on I-95, and above 60 mph on US-58 if you want to get through without a ticket. I'll usually drop my cruise to ~3 mph below the limit. See cops along US-58 all the time traveling through, less so on I-95. US-58 works great because they can enforce an artificial speed limit (60 mph on a limited access bypass) that should in reality be at least 5 - 10 mph faster.
Wytheville, VA is at the junction of I-77 and I-81. Lots of fast food places, gas stations, hotels, truck stops, etc.
Another one - not sure exactly what it would classify under - South of the Border on I-95 at the NC / SC line. Major tourist trap.
Quote from: webny99 on August 31, 2020, 10:41:34 PM
The closest thing New York has to a Florence, SC style example is... Watertown?
There's not really anything else that punches well above its weight in terms of population vs. importance.
Fort Drum is kind of important.
South of the Border is not much other than their chain of stuff. Nothing on the north side of the exit (the NC side) but a gas station and a below Motel 6 level motel. The county they are in doesn't even allow alcohol sales on Sunday.
On 301 it just pops up when you're a mile away from it.
Santee, SC punches way above its weight as well. Town of 1,000, but because it is on Lake Marion and is a "mid-point" in SC, it has every mid-level hotel chain, all the major fast-food chains, a CVS and a Food Lion. You have to drive 20+ miles to Orangeburg or 40+ miles the other direction to Moncks Corner for anything bigger.
For some people Lake Marion is the point where it feels like you're getting close to Florida.
If you want to use the centers of media markets as a proxy for hubs, here are the smallest:
Glendive, MT - 4,910
Presque Isle, ME - 9,007
Alpena, MI - 9,956
Traverse City, MI - 15,738
Beckley, WV - 15,940
Marquette, MI - 20,995
North Platte, NE - 23,639
Ottumwa, IA - 24,368
Watertown, NY - 24,838
Zanesville, OH - 25,158
Quote from: sprjus4 on September 01, 2020, 12:10:56 AM
Quote from: Takumi on August 30, 2020, 11:00:05 PM
Emporia, VA
Their police department sure do love the town being a "mini hub". Not only do they take in money from businesses, the highway itself is a cash cow. In this case, it's both I-95 and US-58. Don't go above 70 mph on I-95, and above 60 mph on US-58 if you want to get through without a ticket. I'll usually drop my cruise to ~3 mph below the limit. See cops along US-58 all the time traveling through, less so on I-95. US-58 works great because they can enforce an artificial speed limit (60 mph on a limited access bypass) that should in reality be at least 5 - 10 mph faster.
I was pulled over there once on I-95 because I was allegedly swerving in my lane (I wasn't). The cop and I had a polite back and forth discussion and he ended up letting me go. He was probably hoping I was drunk.
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 01, 2020, 08:47:19 AM
Quote from: sprjus4 on September 01, 2020, 12:10:56 AM
Quote from: Takumi on August 30, 2020, 11:00:05 PM
Emporia, VA
Their police department sure do love the town being a "mini hub". Not only do they take in money from businesses, the highway itself is a cash cow. In this case, it's both I-95 and US-58. Don't go above 70 mph on I-95, and above 60 mph on US-58 if you want to get through without a ticket. I'll usually drop my cruise to ~3 mph below the limit. See cops along US-58 all the time traveling through, less so on I-95. US-58 works great because they can enforce an artificial speed limit (60 mph on a limited access bypass) that should in reality be at least 5 - 10 mph faster.
I was pulled over there once on I-95 because I was allegedly swerving in my lane (I wasn't). The cop and I had a polite back and forth discussion and he ended up letting me go. He was probably hoping I was drunk.
Oddly, whenever I'm down that way I see more cops between Stony Creek and exit 13 on I-95 than I do Emporia itself, unless there was active construction going on. 58 though, absolutely lives up to the stereotype. I went to clinch VA 308, which is about 15 minutes east of Emporia on 58, and decided to do it northbound instead of going southbound from Sussex, and on the bypass segment of 58 east of 95 there were no fewer than 3 cops.
^
Having only driven that segment of I-95 once last year in order to clinch it, since I have no real reason to drive it between Emporia and Richmond, I can't comment on that, but I have heard that the next few counties also enjoy I-95 as a cash cow, specifically Greensville County (north of Emporia) who also has jurisdiction over US-58 east of Emporia, who also always patrol that segment looking for somebody driving a reasonable speed (I.E. 70 mph, not the artificial 60 mph speed limit). I've seen Emporia police on I-95 south of US-58 a few times before, including when the bridge was under construction. I bet they were sad when that project was finished, no more 55 mph and double fines that clearly would rack in numerous tickets. Southampton County, though to a lesser extent, have also set up shop along various areas of US-58 to catch people off guard, and I've seen them in random median openings, including usually in blind areas that you won't see until you turn a corner or go over a hill. Courtland is another big area, and that in fact was recently lowered from 55 mph to 50 mph for "safety reasons" which may exist for the business cluster just east of the Courtland Bypass, but most of that area can easily handle 55 mph if not a higher 60 mph. The long Suffolk, Courtland, and Franklin bypasses also never go above 60 mph despite being freeways, though enforcement seemed pretty relaxed on there, having only ever seen them a few times. Again, as the rest of the road, a reasonable 70 mph is the norm.
I've started taking US-17 and US-64 more and more specifically to avoid US-58 if heading to I-95, specifically because enforcement is significantly less on the 55 mph areas of US-17, and I've had no problem driving 68 - 70 mph the whole way, plus the bypasses and all of US-64 are all 70 mph, not to mention less traffic on US-64 vs. I-95. NCDOT plans to re-evaluate speed limits there in the near future and could potentially increase most of it to 60 mph, which would only make that route better.
Any examples of military towns that thrive despite their low population?
I don't know of any.
Stroudsburg, PA, is a total commercial hub despite its population of only 6,000--less than its neighbor East Stroudsburg Dansbury.
How about Joplin, MO? Population ~ 50,000, yet it's a major trucking hub
For my area of the world, try the capital column of this list (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comarcas_of_Aragon). These also serve as main hubs for each comarca, the smallest being Cantavieja with a population of only 709. Also note that Zaragoza isn't that tiny (the 5th largest city in Spain in fact), and it isn't even the official capital of its comarca, as when it finally organized as the Comarca Central last year the suburb of Utebo was chosen as capital instead.
Per what I have researched, I was quite surprised at Danville PA (population 4,648) and Marshfield WI (population 18,471). Having hospitals in relatively small places isn't unheard of in my area (there is one in Barbastro, population 16,979; thus sightly smaller than Marshfield), but not to the extent of having nothing less than a Ronald McDonald House adjacent to them.
In terms of shopping/commercial activity, Warrenton, OR. It has a population of 5,700, but has many big box stores including Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, Staples, TJ Maxx, Ross, and a bunch more. The reason is it serves as the main shopping district for the larger Astoria and Seaside, but the population of the whole county is still just shy of 40,000.
As more of a real hub, Hermiston, OR. It's about 18,000 population, but it has hubs and distribution centers for FedEx, UPS, and Walmart, among many others. It's also where 2 interstates (I-84 and I-82) and 2 US routes (US-395 and US-730, also US-30 but it's just concurrent with I-84) meet. Boardman to the west is much smaller and also has a sizable industrial area.
Hagerstown MD (~40k) deserves a mention here - being at the intersection of I-70 & I-81 (and US 11 & US 40) makes it an ideal location for commercial distribution centers. Among other things, there are large shopping centers at I-81 exits 5 & 6, outlets at I-70 exit 29, and countless auto dealers at I-70 exit 32.
Quote from: kphoger on September 01, 2020, 10:52:44 AM
Any examples of military towns that thrive despite their low population?
I mentioned Watertown, NY... which has Fort Drum, so it might count depending on how you define "thrive". :D
Hudson, Wisconsin: A tiny hub in its own right or too suburban to count? I'd argue that the state boundary marks enough of a separation to give Hudson its own identity, but I'd be interested to know how other people feel about it. For a city of 13,000 a major urban freeway presence mixed with a ton of mid-tier food and lodging options makes Hudson seem three or four times its size to someone passing through on 94.
Quote from: EpicRoadways on September 01, 2020, 11:30:52 PM
Hudson, Wisconsin: A tiny hub in its own right or too suburban to count? I'd argue that the state boundary marks enough of a separation to give Hudson its own identity, but I'd be interested to know how other people feel about it. For a city of 13,000 a major urban freeway presence mixed with a ton of mid-tier food and lodging options makes Hudson seem three or four times its size to someone passing through on 94.
Some east metro river cities like Hastings, Hudson, and Stillwater kind of fall into the same gray area as places with their own unique historical identities from before the Twin Cities absorbed them. I guess from my view living in the west metro my entire life, I consider them as places I need a reason to go to more so than going to, say, Eagan or Woodbury, so maybe that makes them their own hubs?
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 02, 2020, 12:04:49 AM
Quote from: EpicRoadways on September 01, 2020, 11:30:52 PM
Hudson, Wisconsin: A tiny hub in its own right or too suburban to count? I'd argue that the state boundary marks enough of a separation to give Hudson its own identity, but I'd be interested to know how other people feel about it. For a city of 13,000 a major urban freeway presence mixed with a ton of mid-tier food and lodging options makes Hudson seem three or four times its size to someone passing through on 94.
Some east metro river cities like Hastings, Hudson, and Stillwater kind of fall into the same gray area as places with their own unique historical identities from before the Twin Cities absorbed them. I guess from my view living in the west metro my entire life, I consider them as places I need a reason to go to more so than going to, say, Eagan or Woodbury, so maybe that makes them their own hubs?
Having lived in both Hastings and Eagan as a kid, I don't really feel like either are "hubs". Maybe Hastings for the Miesville and Welch crowd, but that's not many people.
Chris
I was going to say basically the same thing about Hastings. Sure, it's a nice town to visit, but I wouldn't call it a "hub".
[quote author=Max Rockatansky link=topic=27578.msg2529620#msg2529620 date=1598822224]
Tehachapi is a major stopping point at the southern flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains but only has a population of about 14k.
I would put Barstow and Santa Nella at least for California cities with tiny hubs though.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on September 01, 2020, 11:49:33 AM
Per what I have researched, I was quite surprised at Danville PA (population 4,648) and Marshfield WI (population 18,471). Having hospitals in relatively small places isn't unheard of in my area (there is one in Barbastro, population 16,979; thus sightly smaller than Marshfield), but not to the extent of having nothing less than a Ronald McDonald House adjacent to them.
In the case of Danville, the hospital in question is Geisinger Medical Center, a world-class tertiary/quaternary hospital. The Danville hospital anchors a integrated health maintenance organization and care provider that dominates a roughly triangular shaped slice of Pennsylvania stretching from northeast of Scranton down through Harrisburg and northwest to the rural areas beyond State College. If you're one of the half-million people in this region who are members of the Geisinger Health Plan–or one of the millions more in the region on Medicare–and are in need of acute care not available in your local hospital, you'll be sent to Danville.
So in that sense–from a health care perspective–Danville is a hub, drawing patients from a large geographic region of Pennsylvania who aren't associated with the health networks of the major hospital networks in Pittsburgh (UPMC) and Philadelphia (Penn Medicine).
My sister was born with a life-threatening congenital heart defect in Williamsport, and she was airlifted to Geisinger on her second day. She underwent numerous surgeries and other procedures in Danville before finally emerging as a fairly normal and healthy infant.
Quote from: jayhawkco on September 02, 2020, 12:06:51 AM
Having lived in both Hastings and Eagan as a kid, I don't really feel like either are "hubs". Maybe Hastings for the Miesville and Welch crowd, but that's not many people.
Quote from: kphoger on September 02, 2020, 09:35:09 AM
I was going to say basically the same thing about Hastings. Sure, it's a nice town to visit, but I wouldn't call it a "hub".
I think I did a crappy job of explaining my point, which was to respond to the "is Hudson a suburb or its own hub" , which although Hastings isn't a hub I was trying to illustrate the fact that it feels like a suburb in some ways and its own town in others. Back to the other point, Stillwater is probably a better allegory to Hudson for this discussion.
Quote from: briantroutman on September 02, 2020, 11:15:41 AM
Danville is a hub, drawing patients from a large geographic region of Pennsylvania who aren't associated with the health networks of the major hospital networks in Pittsburgh (UPMC) and Philadelphia (Penn Medicine).
Don't forget Allentown and the Poconos (LVHN).
For Texas my immediate thought was Bastrop. It only has a population of 7.2K, but it has the following:
Academy
Lowes and a Home Depot
Chilis
Chick-Fil-A
Ross
Petco
Best Buy
Buc-ee's (a full-size one, not a small one)
It has all this plus the usual restaurants and shops you'd find in a small town. It has no US highways or interstates, but it is about halfway between College Station and San Antonio on SH 21, and about a fourth of the way between Austin and Houston on SH 71.
I forgot to mention Orangeburg here in SC when I was talking about tiny hub cities. A town of 12,500, but it has the services of a town probably 4 times the size. Two HBCUs, a daily newspaper, an enclosed mall (Prince of Orange), and every fast food place known to man.
It's the city for a trading area of at least 30 miles in most directions (except for the north, with Columbia being so close).
It helps when you have 4 US highways intersecting in town (21, 178, 301, 601) plus I-26.
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 31, 2020, 11:25:22 PM
Maybe Limon, CO? Crossroads of US24, US40, US287, CO71, and I-70. Not much else out in eastern Colorado, especially in the central-eastern part of the state.
Chris
Perfect example.
I'd throw Rock Springs, WY in there, along with Woodward, OK and Dodge City, KS.
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 03, 2020, 03:23:04 AM
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 31, 2020, 11:25:22 PM
Maybe Limon, CO? Crossroads of US24, US40, US287, CO71, and I-70. Not much else out in eastern Colorado, especially in the central-eastern part of the state.
Chris
Perfect example.
I'd throw Rock Springs, WY in there, along with Woodward, OK and Dodge City, KS.
A counterpoint on Limon: it doesn't even have a hospital in town. The nearest hospital is in Hugo, 15 miles down US-287. Limon doesn't have a Wal-Mart either.
Limon's always just seemed to me like a place where roads converge. Good for gas, fast food and a low-to-mid-tier hotel room. But not a place that draws folks in from a surrounding radius for retail and food and medical choices. An eastern Colorado hub like Fort Morgan or Lamar has a hospital, a Wal-Mart and a Safeway. Limon has none of those 3.
I do agree on your latter 3.
Marion, Illinois, population around 18,000, but has numerous big box stores and chain restaurants. The larger Carbondale is about 20-30 minutes away.
Quote from: keithvh on September 21, 2020, 01:13:19 AM
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 03, 2020, 03:23:04 AM
Quote from: jayhawkco on August 31, 2020, 11:25:22 PM
Maybe Limon, CO? Crossroads of US24, US40, US287, CO71, and I-70. Not much else out in eastern Colorado, especially in the central-eastern part of the state.
Chris
Perfect example.
I'd throw Rock Springs, WY in there, along with Woodward, OK and Dodge City, KS.
A counterpoint on Limon: it doesn't even have a hospital in town. The nearest hospital is in Hugo, 15 miles down US-287. Limon doesn't have a Wal-Mart either.
Limon's always just seemed to me like a place where roads converge. Good for gas, fast food and a low-to-mid-tier hotel room. But not a place that draws folks in from a surrounding radius for retail and food and medical choices. An eastern Colorado hub like Fort Morgan or Lamar has a hospital, a Wal-Mart and a Safeway. Limon has none of those 3.
I do agree on your latter 3.
Despite Limon not having a hospital, it is still batting well above its weight when it comes to fast food, as it has Arby's, IHOP, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's. The closest Walmart is in Falcon, an eastern suburb of Colorado Springs.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 30, 2020, 07:37:08 PM
For Minnesota it's places like Marshall (college), Morris (college), Virginia/Hibbing (regional centers), Winona (college), Grand Rapids (tourism!, Baxter/Brainerd (more Baxter these days, tourism), Bemidji (college/tourism), Albert Lea (interstate junction)
Should probably add Hutchinson and Thief River Falls. Hutchinson is big enough for Walmart and Applebee's.
Another tiny city that is a hub: Greenwood, SC. Town of 23K that has no decent-sized city around it for 50 miles. 54 from Greenville, 58 from Augusta, 79 from Columbia and Athens, GA.
It has a university (Lander), a Publix, a Starbucks, a Lidl (a higher-end type of grocery store like Aldi owned by Food Lion) and a Hobby Lobby, among other things, plus all the fast food choices. It also has 2 Walmarts.
Ellensburg, WA (population ~21k) is definitely a hub for central Washington. But it's also a college town and not really near other major cities:
* meeting point of I-90, I-82, and US-97.
* home to Central Washington University, a large public university with 12,000+ students
* very walkable downtown with many businesses and restaurants
* major truck stop, with many businesses catering to this located directly off I-90 (hotels, gas stations, etc)
It doesn't have any major big-box stores other than Fred Meyer (aka Kroger), so not as impressive as other examples.
Safford, Arizona (Pop 9,872) has Wal-Mart Supercenter, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and several other businesses. Interstate 10 is located 33 miles away.
The town the main employment and shopping hub for Graham and Greenlee counties, as well as parts of northern Cochise County; Hidalgo County, NM and Catron County, NM.
Copper mining is the major job creator. Cotton Farming is big, and cattle ranching plays a role as well.
Eastern Arizona college in nearby Thatcher has a popular nursing program, and partners with Arizona State University to offer a limited number of Bachelor's degrees.
Someone once told me that Safford is considered to have a "market population" of about 50-60K; a figure used by businesses when they consider whether or not they should set up shop here.
We don't have a ton of nice retail businesses or restaurants; people here prefer to drive to Tucson or Phoenix for a better experience when they spend their money at nice stores or eat at restaurants. With Amazon and eBay getting huge I don't expect that to change anytime soon as far as the shopping is concerned
Tappahannock, VA, has a population of a little over 2000, and has a Walmart Supercenter, Lowe's, Sheetz, Applebee's, Shoney's, multiple hotels, and several fast food restaurants. Definitely a hub for that part of the state, as anything more substantial requires a 45-minute drive to Mechanicsville.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 21, 2020, 04:37:10 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 30, 2020, 07:37:08 PM
For Minnesota it's places like Marshall (college), Morris (college), Virginia/Hibbing (regional centers), Winona (college), Grand Rapids (tourism!, Baxter/Brainerd (more Baxter these days, tourism), Bemidji (college/tourism), Albert Lea (interstate junction)
Should probably add Hutchinson and Thief River Falls. Hutchinson is big enough for Walmart and Applebee's.
I would add Worthington to that list as well, granted it's mostly because it's a place where highways meet more than anything. Fairmont seems similar.
Carlisle PA is under 20,000 and seemingly has about that many warehouses and trucking stations due to its proximity to several interstates. Served by I-76 and 81. I-83 is 20 miles away. I-78 is 40 miles away. I-70 is 55 miles away.
Rochelle IL might qualify, about 10,000, huge railroad center (or was, are they closing UP Global III?) and at the crossroads of I-39 and I-88
Quote from: sbeaver44 on September 27, 2020, 09:23:02 PM
Carlisle PA is under 20,000 and seemingly has about that many warehouses and trucking stations due to its proximity to several interstates. Served by I-76 and 81. I-83 is 20 miles away. I-78 is 40 miles away. I-70 is 55 miles away.
Rochelle IL might qualify, about 10,000, huge railroad center (or was, are they closing UP Global III?) and at the crossroads of I-39 and I-88
You may be amused to know Rochelle's high school teams are known as the Hubs.
la junta, colo. junction of us 50, 350, sh 10, and one or two more state routes.
might be 15,000 people.
there's an amtrak depot there.
For North Carolina, I'd say any town between Charlotte and the Triad. Statesville, Mocksville, Salisbury, Lexington all punch well above their weight
Ely, Nevada comes to mind. It’s not that big with only 3900 people or so, but it’s the biggest town for a long way. The closest bigger city is Elko, which is 180 miles away by car...and if you’re going that far for a bigger city, you might as well just go to St George (215 miles away) or Las Vegas/Salt Lake City (both 240 miles away).
As a result, it functions as a significant regional hub - with multiple national chain hotels, fast food places, and even a Ridley’s (Intermountain West smaller-town grocery store chain). About the only things it’s missing are Walmart and McDonalds.