Which American city is the largest? And the oldest? The northernmost and the southernmost? The coldest and the hottest?
The coldest American city
Have you ever been to Fairbanks? Don’t forget thick closes if you ever go there, because that’s the coldest city in the US. The lowest temperature ever recorded here was -66 °F (-54 °C)! But it’s hot here in summer sometimes, the record is 99 °F (37 °C). Also, Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior region of Alaska, it has ~33k residents. Winters here are long and cold, summers are short and hot. Freezing temperatures here usually last from mid-September to mid-May, so the growing season lasts ~4 months only.
Hot as hell!
The coastal city of Miami is the hottest in the US in terms of average annual temperature. It’s never cold here – summers are hot and wet, and winters are warm and dry. There was no snowfall here in the history of meteorological observation, although the temperature here can drop below the freezing point. The coldest temperature record in Miami is 27 °F (-3 °C). The hottest temperature ever recorded here is 100 °F (38 °C). Global climate change threatens Miami more than any other major American city, global sea level rise will lead to an increase in storm damage and more frequent flooding. However, the hottest city is Yuma, Arizona: the temperature record there is 124 °F (51 °C).
The most dangerous city in the US
The most dangerous American city is Memphis, Tennessee. Well, Detroit has almost the same crime rate which is really high, which makes both of these cities dangerous, but Memphis is a leader in this anti-rating. Previously, Memphis had been ranked as the most dangerous city in the US in 2002 and 2006. There are more than 180 organized gangs in Memphis with about 8400 gang members. Be careful if you’re gonna go there!
The safest American city
The safest large city in the US is Frisco, Texas. It’s located north of Dallas and is home to ~200k people. However, there are some small towns that are even safer. Top-10 safest towns usually include Santa-Clarita (CA), Glenn Falls (NY), Ridgefield (CT), Midland (MI), and Dubuque (IO).
Geographical facts about American cities
Key-West is the southernmost American city in the continental US. It’s located in Florida which is the southernmost state. The northernmost city is Utqiagvik in Alaska, it’s located north of the Arctic Circle. That’s a small town with a ~5k population. Eastport in Maine is the easternmost city – that’s actually how it got its name. The westernmost city in the US is Eureka, California.
The most isolated city in the US
Wanna live in the middle of nowhere? Welcome to Glasgow, Montana! That’s a small town with ~3.200 residents, located near the Canadian border. If you’re here, it will take you about 5 hours to get to any other city, wherever you drive – South, North, East, West. By the way, Glasgow is the 23rd most populous city in Montana.
The fastest-growing city in the US
San Francisco is the fastest-growing American city, it’s followed by Austin and Seattle. So far it’s ranked 17th in the US and 4th in California with ~820k population, but it will likely hit 1 million soon. From 2010 to 2020, the population here increased by 8.5%. San Francisco’s population is very diverse ethnically.
The windiest American city
Many people think that the windiest city in the US is Chicago but that’s not true. Dodge City, Kansas, is ranked first! This town has the highest average wind speed, due to the statistical data. The average wind speed here is 15 mph (6.5 m/s). It results in regular blizzards in winter even when there is not so much snowfall.
The rainiest city in the US
Hilo, Hawaii, is the rainiest American city. It rains here 211 days per year on average! Hilo is the 4th largest city in Hawaii. Interesting fact: Hilo receives from 10 to 40 times more rain than some other parts of the Big Island where it’s located.
The driest American city
Rain makes you sad? Think about moving to Yuma, Arizona, the driest town in the United States with an average annual rainfall of 3.3 inches only. As we remember, Yuma is also the hottest city with, if talking not about average annual temperature but about the temperature record. The temperature here reaches the freezing point once in 15 years, and there are 117 days per year during which the temperature reaches or exceeds 100 °F (38 °C).
The largest city in the US
All the world knows New York, and in lots of countries, people are sure that it is the capital of the United States. It is not, but it is the largest city in America with over 8.8 million population. Top-5 largest American cities also include Los Angeles (3.9 million), Chicago (2.8 million), Houston (2.3 million), and Phoenix (1.6 million).
The highest elevated city in the US
Plenty of the world’s highest-elevated cities are located in South America. Denver is the highest elevated major city in North America, but there’s also Leadville, Colorado. As the name of this town implies, it grew up around lead mines. Leadville is a small town with ~3000 population, so it isn’t well known. However, Leadville is the highest city in the US! It lies close to the timberline. The elevation of Leadville is 10.152 feet or 3.094 meters.