What is a big city?

[roadman65]

New York, Chicago, LA, Houston, San Diego, St. Louis, Memphis, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Des Moines, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, San Antonio, Miami, New Orleans, Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston 

I think those are the big cities.

[hotdogPi]

New York, Chicago, LA, Houston, San Diego, St. Louis, Memphis, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Des Moines, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, San Antonio, Miami, New Orleans, Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston 

I think those are the big cities.

Are you sure about Des Moines?

[DTComposer]

New York, Chicago, LA, Houston, San Diego, St. Louis, Memphis, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Des Moines, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, San Antonio, Miami, New Orleans, Seattle, Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston 

I think those are the big cities.

Are you sure about Des Moines?

Seconded. Des Moines, and not Pittsburgh, Portland, Nashville, Kansas City, Charlotte, etc., etc.?

[roadman65]

Why do I not add Denver to the mix as well?

I was just naming some to make my point that is why.  I did not want to be here all day, so I just named the top ones off the top of my head.

[UptownRoadGeek]

New York.

[Duke87]

I believe in terms of US metropolitan areas with no sports teams Las Vegas tops the list, while Austin tops the list if you restrict it to the actual city itself.

The thing about Austin is that it has gained most of its size in the past few decades. It may be a big city now, but it isn't a historically big city... just look on a map at how I-10 conspicuously goes to San Antonio when it would be more direct if it went to Austin. This is because San Antonio was a much bigger city when I-10 was being built.

For this reason, Austin basically shares a sports market with San Antonio (which is only 75 minutes away) and in some cases also Houston, so despite its size it isn't really an unfilled niche.

[Molandfreak]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

Albuquerque
Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Bettendorf
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Buffalo
Charlotte
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas
Davenport
Des Moines
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fargo
Fort Worth
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Knoxville
Las Vegas
Lexington
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Moline
Montgomery
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Norfolk
Oakland
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland (OR)
Richmond
Rochester (NY, but I was tempted to include MN)
Rock Island
Sacramento
Saint Louis
Saint Paul
Saint Petersburg
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Seattle
Sioux Falls
Tampa
Toledo
Tucson
Tulsa
Virginia Beach
Washington, DC
Wichita

[hotdogPi]

recognition of the name


Bettendorf
Fargo
Moline
Rock Island

I have never heard of these before.

[Pete from Boston]

recognition of the name


Bettendorf
Fargo
Moline
Rock Island

I have never heard of these before.

People know Fargo.  If for nothing else, the movie gave it legs.

The Quad Cities are not known by many people (sports nuts like to occasionally name-drop the Thunder as a suitable opponent for a lousy basketball team).  I will give you a dollar if you ask 100 people at random east of the Appalachians and three of them can name said Quad Cities.  More people probably think "Bettendorf" is the football announcer that just retired.

Not that the East is the arbiter of all things, but it's a huge hunk of the name-recognizing population.

[Brandon]

recognition of the name


Bettendorf
Fargo
Moline
Rock Island

I have never heard of these before.

I've heard all four and been to three.  Of course, those three are easy to get to from each other being three-quarters of the Quad Cities (Davenport, the largest, is the fourth).  Never been to Fargo (yet).

[DTComposer]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

(big list)

You include Fort Worth with Dallas, St. Paul with Minneapolis, St. Petersburg with Tampa, and Virginia Beach with Norfolk, but not Oakland and San Jose with San Francisco? Plus, either of those cities wield more influence nationally and globally than many of the cities you listed. Just curious as to your rationale.

[Molandfreak]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

(big list)

You include Fort Worth with Dallas, St. Paul with Minneapolis, St. Petersburg with Tampa, and Virginia Beach with Norfolk, but not Oakland and San Jose with San Francisco? Plus, either of those cities wield more influence nationally and globally than many of the cities you listed. Just curious as to your rationale.

No rationale. I had considered Oakland, but thought it might be redundant/overshadowed. You do bring up a good point, so I'll go ahead and add them to the list.

[ET21]

Why do I not add Denver to the mix as well?

I was just naming some to make my point that is why.  I did not want to be here all day, so I just named the top ones off the top of my head.

Denver would be a lot better than Des Moines

[SD Mapman]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

What about Rapid City? Or anything in Wyoming?

[Molandfreak]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

What about Rapid City? Or anything in Wyoming?

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth. South Dakota is more than represented enough by Sioux Falls, though.

Wyoming cities are definitely growing, both in influence and population. Casper and Cheyenne are certainly big for the surrounding area, but they would be the smallest cities by population on this list for sure. I'm kind of torn between one or the other, and my precedent not to include them is because some East Coaster is probably going to ask "why did you include the tiny Cheyenne, but not Providence" if I do.

[SD Mapman]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

What about Rapid City? Or anything in Wyoming?

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth. South Dakota is more than represented enough by Sioux Falls, though.

Wyoming cities are definitely growing, both in influence and population. Casper and Cheyenne are certainly big for the surrounding area, but they would be the smallest cities by population on this list for sure. I'm kind of torn between one or the other, and my precedent not to include them is because some East Coaster is probably going to ask "why did you include the tiny Cheyenne, but not Providence" if I do.

I see your point, but being form West River I take a little issue with saying Sioux Falls represents all of SD...   

[Molandfreak]

I don't take population into consideration at all when discussing "big" cities. Only the influence on the country and recognition of the name. Without further ado, here are all the big cities in the country to me (Equally important metropolitan cities are all listed separately). Like it or hate it, I'm probably not changing it. I may have forgotten a couple.

What about Rapid City? Or anything in Wyoming?

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth. South Dakota is more than represented enough by Sioux Falls, though.

Wyoming cities are definitely growing, both in influence and population. Casper and Cheyenne are certainly big for the surrounding area, but they would be the smallest cities by population on this list for sure. I'm kind of torn between one or the other, and my precedent not to include them is because some East Coaster is probably going to ask "why did you include the tiny Cheyenne, but not Providence" if I do.

I see your point, but being form West River I take a little issue with saying Sioux Falls represents all of SD...   

I totally understand

[realjd]

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth.

Duluth is a tourist destination?

[ET21]

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth.

Duluth is a tourist destination?

I'd believe it for certain seasons. Gateway to Lake Superior, spectacular fall colors in September

[SD Mapman]

I don't know why I didn't include Rapid City. I may have been thinking it was more of a tourist destination at this point, like Duluth.

Duluth is a tourist destination?

I'd believe it for certain seasons. Gateway to Lake Superior, spectacular fall colors in September

And then frozen.

[froggie]

And then frozen.

Yes, frozen, but you'd be surprised about the effect.  Duluth along the waterfront is often warmer than the Twin Cities, as the water has a stabilizing influence on temperature.  It's not uncommon to have 20 degree temperature swings between downtown (along the waterfront) and the airport (up on the bluff).

Duluth can also be used as a staging base to the ski areas in northeastern Minnesota (Giants Ridge, Lutsen, and especially Spirit Mountain which is right outside Duluth).


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I also find it a bit amusing that people are including Virginia Beach in with Norfolk.  While Virginia Beach is, officially, the most populated city in Virginia, the reality is that it's nothing more than a huge suburb.  The "old" part of Virginia Beach, the oceanfront, had a total of about 8,000 people when it merged with Princess Anne County to become an independent city.

[Scott5114]

Are there big cities without pro sports teams? Austin, TX may be an example. Las Vegas is definitely one.

Tulsa. Wichita (which is the largest city in its state).

[realjd]

Are there big cities without pro sports teams? Austin, TX may be an example. Las Vegas is definitely one.

Tulsa. Wichita (which is the largest city in its state).

Wichita may be the largest city in Kansas but it isn't the biggest metro area. And I don't know about Tulsa but Wichita is far from a big city.

[hotdogPi]

Here are the cities in Europe that I'm familiar with, making them big cities:

Athens
Barcelona
Belfast
Berlin
Birmingham
Hamburg
Lisbon
Liverpool
London
Madrid
Manchester
Moscow
Paris
Sparta
St. Petersburg
Warsaw

EDIT:

Dublin
Glasgow
Vienna

Maybe someone not from North America can do this for the United States?

[NE2]

Sparta