CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Have you ever tried to talk to someone about Charleston and they think you’re talking about South Carolina? Or maybe they ask you about your Ivy League education when you say you went to school in Princeton? There’s only so many names for cities which means some overlap.
Below are the top 10 most common city names in the U.S. and an indication of whether or not a city or town with that name exists in West Virginia. Note that this list does not include unincorporated communities or neighborhoods as defined by Google Maps and the U.S. Census.
| Rank | City Name | # of cities | Does WV have one and where? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 88 | Yes, in Wood County. Pop. 1,175 (2010) |
| 2 | Springfield | 41 | Yes, in Hampshire County. Pop. 477 (2010) |
| 3 | Franklin | 35 | Yes, county seat of Pendleton County. Pop. 486 (2020) |
| 4 | Greenville | 30 | No (unincorporated) |
| T-5 | Bristol | 29 | No (unincorporated) |
| T-5 | Clinton | 29 | No (unincorporated/no data) |
| 7 | Fairview | 27 | Yes, in Marion County. Pop. 374 (2020) |
| 8 | Salem | 26 | Yes, in Harrison County. Pop. 1,485 (2020) |
| 9 | Madison | 24 | Yes, in Boone County. Pop. 2,898 (2020) |
| 10 | Georgetown | 23 | No (unincorporated/no data) |
According to geography website worldatlas.com, the most popular town name in the United States is Washington with 88 of them spread across the country, including in West Virginia. Note that while worldatlas.com does not confirm it, this likely includes towns with Washington in the name such as “Port Washington” and “Washingtonville.”
