Major cities annexed by their neighbors

[Brandon]

If you're going to include New York annexing another city, you shouldn't leave Long Island City out.

Regarding Tampa annexing St Pete,  that's highly unlikely. Pinellas County separated from Hillsborough in 1912(over bad roads), so any cities outside of Hillsborough County are pretty much untouchable. That'd be like New York City trying to annex White Plains, Glen Cove, or Long Beach.

Why would they be untouchable?  Plenty of cities cross county lines including the town in which I reside (both Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois).

[empirestate]

If you're going to include New York annexing another city, you shouldn't leave Long Island City out.

I'm not leaving it out, though I chose Brooklyn as my example since it had been the third largest city in the nation (fourth at the time of annexation). Likewise, Charlestown was in important port settlement going back as far as Boston and New York, and Allegheny was a major industrial city in its region.

Yes, but Kansas City, KS is actually an example of this. Most of what is Kansas City today were formerly independent towns. You might recognize some of their names: Argentine, Rosedale, Turner, Armourdale...

I think that, pretty much without exception, we will find a lot of formerly incorporated territory within any big city's current borders. I didn't mean to start a list of those, although I realize the line can be blurry. I thought about including the twin cities of Rochester and Carthage (NY), which merged in 1930 or so, but then I figured there would be tons of examples of small upstart burghs like this, battling for supremacy with one ultimately winning out. So I limited myself just to places that were already well grown-up with substantial history or importance of their own, relative to the time and place.

For example, if Boston were to annex Cambridge, that would be a great example, since Cambridge has been around forever, has a six-digit population and is a sometime county seat. And of course, if Minneapolis annexed St. Paul, that would be the supreme example.

I'm not sure I'd count something like Indianapolis annexing Speedway, however, or Chicago annexing Cicero, and definitely not something like Louisville annexing Glenview Manor! 

[froggie]

The City of Virginia Beach was once a small municipality (might have been a town and not a city, that distinction being very important in Virginia) that was literally along the beach, but in about 1964, the municipality merged with what was then Princess Anne County to create present-day Virginia Beach.

January 1, 1963....same date that Chesapeake (previously mentioned by 1995hoo) came into being.  Norfolk did 2 rounds of annexation in the 1950s, one in 1955 that took the rest of what was Norfolk County north of the East Branch Elizabeth River, and a second in 1958-59 that broached the northwest corner of Princess Anne County.  Around the same time or shortly thereafter, they attempted to (and were involved in a lawsuit regarding) annex further into Norfolk County in a way that would completely encircle what was then South Norfolk.  This lawsuit is what led to the creation of Chesapeake, meanwhile, Norfolk's encroachment into Princess Anne County led to the county's consolidation with Virginia Beach.

[golden eagle]

Not major cities, but Helena and West Helena, AR, consolidated as one city as of January 1, 2006.

[vdeane]

Others didn't happen because the neighboring city is in a different state

Kansas City and Kansas City. . .

Or a different country:

Sault Sainte Marie and Sault Sainte Marie.

Niagara Falls and Niagara Falls
Derby Lane and Stanstead

If you're going to include New York annexing another city, you shouldn't leave Long Island City out.

Regarding Tampa annexing St Pete,  that's highly unlikely. Pinellas County separated from Hillsborough in 1912(over bad roads), so any cities outside of Hillsborough County are pretty much untouchable. That'd be like New York City trying to annex White Plains, Glen Cove, or Long Beach.

You mean like how New York annexed what is now Queens County, which was then united with Nassau County?  Bronx County was also a part of Westchester County.

[US71]

Not major cities, but Helena and West Helena, AR, consolidated as one city as of January 1, 2006.

Yes, called Helena-West Helena.   

[amroad17]

In 1968, the city of Portsmouth, VA annexed part of the city of Chesapeake from the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River to Sterns Creek (now the city line between the two cities in the Churchland area) as well as everything north of Churchland to the Hampton Roads (the area of water between Portsmouth and Newport News).  This area was also part of Norfolk County before becoming Chesapeake and now Portsmouth.  Because of this, a new high school had to be built for the families still living in the Chesapeake city limits as the school they used to go to (Churchland High) was now in Portsmouth.  This high school became Western Branch High (home of the Bruins), which was my and my wife's high school (me-class of 1980; her-class of 1985).

Although these cities may not be considered "major", this is one case that definitely belongs in this subject matter.

[Brandon]

^^ Why would Chesapeake need a new high school?  Wouldn't the school district boundaries still be the same regardless of annexation?

[froggie]

^^ Why would Chesapeake need a new high school?  Wouldn't the school district boundaries still be the same regardless of annexation?

Not in Virginia, where school district boundaries are tied to county/independent city lines.

[J N Winkler]

Some states permit cities to expand across county lines while others don't--Kansas does (which is why Manhattan extends out of Riley and into Pottawatomie county), but Nebraska doesn't (my Nebraska relatives say this is why Omaha hasn't annexed Bellevue).

[Brandon]

^^ Why would Chesapeake need a new high school?  Wouldn't the school district boundaries still be the same regardless of annexation?

Not in Virginia, where school district boundaries are tied to county/independent city lines.

OK.  In Illinois (with the exception of Chicago) school districts are special-use tax districts with no respect to municipal or county boundaries.  The municipal boundary changes, but the school district boundary does not.

[Dougtone]

While not in the United States, Toronto could be up for discussion, as the city has been involved with many annexations and mergers over the years.

[empirestate]

While not in the United States, Toronto could be up for discussion, as the city has been involved with many annexations and mergers over the years.

What was Toronto's Brooklyn? York?

[mgk920]

While not in the United States, Toronto could be up for discussion, as the city has been involved with many annexations and mergers over the years.

What was Toronto's Brooklyn? York?

North York - at the time of the great amalgamation of 1998, the prior City of North York was more populous than was the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalgamation_of_Toronto

I also STR that the first elected mayor of the pst-amalgamation City of Toronto was previously the mayor of North York.

Mike

[huskeroadgeek]

While not in the United States, Toronto could be up for discussion, as the city has been involved with many annexations and mergers over the years.

Speaking of Canada, the city of Thunder Bay, ON was formed in 1970 from the merger of the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur.

[Coelacanth]

And of course, if Minneapolis annexed St. Paul, that would be the supreme example.

This is obviously never going to happen, but Minneapolis has grown by annexation on more than one occasion.

The most notable example was back in the 19th century when it merged with the then-similarly-sized city of St. Anthony.

[NJRoadfan]

At one point, Newark, NJ made a play at East Orange, Vailsburg, Irvington, and Belleville. It was able to grab Vailsburg, but the failure to take Belleville ended up killing the chances at absorbing the other two cities, and basically set the modern boundaries.

There is nothing stopping this logical move from happening. The state has been encouraging municipal consolidation for many years.

[Stephane Dumas]

North York - at the time of the great amalgamation of 1998, the prior City of North York was more populous than was the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalgamation_of_Toronto

I also STR that the first elected mayor of the pst-amalgamation City of Toronto was previously the mayor of North York.

Mike

Toronto wasn't alone, Winnipeg also amalgated http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Winnipeg_Act

Halifax did with Dartmouth, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalgamation_of_Halifax,_Nova_Scotia

Montreal who also did some de-amalgations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Merger

[vdeane]

And of course, if Minneapolis annexed St. Paul, that would be the supreme example.

If that happened, we could solve the I-35 situation there.

[kphoger]

And of course, if Minneapolis annexed St. Paul, that would be the supreme example.

If that happened, we could solve the I-35 situation there.

Really?  Suddently, nobody would care about losing the number 35 anymore, simply because their mailing address had a different city's name in it?

[Stephane Dumas]

If that happened, we could solve the I-35 situation there.

Maybe we could also rename the Minnesota Twins/Vikings/Wild/Timberwolves as Minneapolis Twins/Vikings/Wild/Timberwolves as well?

[cpzilliacus]

^^ Why would Chesapeake need a new high school?  Wouldn't the school district boundaries still be the same regardless of annexation?

Not in Virginia, where school district boundaries are tied to county/independent city lines.

Identical to Maryland.  School district boundaries, without exception, follow county (and in the case of Baltimore City, city) lines.

[DandyDan]

Some states permit cities to expand across county lines while others don't--Kansas does (which is why Manhattan extends out of Riley and into Pottawatomie county), but Nebraska doesn't (my Nebraska relatives say this is why Omaha hasn't annexed Bellevue).

Based on some quick research into the matter, the reason Omaha can't annex into Sarpy County, or any of Douglas County's neighboring counties, is a 1966 decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court, Barton v. City of Omaha.  They said a city of the metropolitan class, which I believe only includes Omaha and Lincoln (I don't know for sure about Lincoln, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was), cannot annex property in an adjoining county.  I believe every other city, or village, can annex territory in neighboring counties.  After all, Emerson is in 3 counties, and Tilden and Oxford, amongst others, are in 2.

I always think the city of Bellevue is weird, because it seems like a large chunk of it is simply the part of Omaha that went into Sarpy County.  Bryan High School is technically in Bellevue, but it's Omaha Public Schools, so they always call it Omaha Bryan in sports reports, which makes things more confusing.

[D-Dey65]

Why would they be untouchable?  Plenty of cities cross county lines including the town in which I reside (both Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois).

Oh, I get that, believe me. Don't forget that I grew up on Long Island which is in the shadow of the Five Boroughs. I grew up thinking cities that cross county lines was the norm. But I also realize Nassau County broke away from one of them, and Pinellas County broke away from Hillsborough because they felt neglected by the rest of Hillsborough.

You mean like how New York annexed what is now Queens County, which was then united with Nassau County?  Bronx County was also a part of Westchester County.

Ahh, but there was no Nassau County until after western Queens was annexed by New York City. There wasn't even a Bronx County until after the Borough was established.

[J N Winkler]

Based on some quick research into the matter, the reason Omaha can't annex into Sarpy County, or any of Douglas County's neighboring counties, is a 1966 decision by the Nebraska Supreme Court, Barton v. City of Omaha.  They said a city of the metropolitan class, which I believe only includes Omaha and Lincoln (I don't know for sure about Lincoln, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was), cannot annex property in an adjoining county.  I believe every other city, or village, can annex territory in neighboring counties.  After all, Emerson is in 3 counties, and Tilden and Oxford, amongst others, are in 2.

Thanks for looking up the background on this issue.  I found the relevant court decision online, and it appears the court held that Omaha (and other cities classified as metropolitan under Nebraska state law) cannot annex land in a foreign county because it has an authority to plat that smaller incorporated municipalities in Nebraska lack, and the power to plat can be held by a city in relation to only one county.

I always think the city of Bellevue is weird, because it seems like a large chunk of it is simply the part of Omaha that went into Sarpy County.  Bryan High School is technically in Bellevue, but it's Omaha Public Schools, so they always call it Omaha Bryan in sports reports, which makes things more confusing.

Yup--north Bellevue is in effect a continuation of Omaha's street grid and in many places the county line road that separates Douglas and Sarpy counties (and Omaha and Bellevue) is a collector-type road with more or less identical residential subdivisions on either side.  Bellevue also has its own historic district just north of Offutt AFB, and there is a large area of middle-class single-family housing in the hills leading to the Fontenelle Forest (originally developed largely as off-base private-economy housing for Air Force officers stationed at Offutt), so it is surprisingly heterogeneous in urban form.  My relatives say that Fort Crook Boulevard, opened just before World War II as a four-lane relocation of US 75, was the first divided highway in Nebraska.