Up next in 10
How Most U.S. Cities Are Insanely Well Located
2K views
Mar 31, 2025
Use code KNOWLEDGE in the link below to get 60% off of Incogni: https://incogni.com/knowledge In this video I talk about the location choices for the establishment of cities in the United States of America. Discussing the key points related to the locations and success of major cities in the United States, having their locations usually chosen based on factors such as freshwater supply, suitable terrain for food production, strategic location, and access to resources. And then highlighting some specific cities: Chicago a portage point between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, making it a crucial transportation hub. New York City: a natural harbor and port, particularly with the construction of the Erie Canal. New Orleans: the mouth of the Mississippi River, enabling close trade connections with various regions. San Francisco: The discovery of gold in nearby Sierra Nevada led to a rapid population increase and the city's success, despite natural disasters. Jacksonville: at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Los Angeles: the discovery of oil, access to freshwater through an aqueduct, a busy container port, and the growth of the film industry. Houston: Its proximity to Trinity Bay, the discovery of oil and NASA facilities further fueled its growth. Dallas: succeeded through factors like favorable tax laws, travel, tourism, and artificial lakes to address water supply issues. And Anchorage: at the confluence of rivers, deep waters for shipping, and access to the Matanuska valley contributed to its growth, especially with the discovery of gold. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 00:50 How Location Choices Are Made 03:08 Understanding Location Choices 03:22 Chicago, Illinois 06:09 New York City, New York 07:51 New Orleans, Lousiana 09:27 San Francisco, California 10:55 Jacksonville, Florida 12:04 Los Angeles, California 13:14 Houston, Texas 14:24 Dallas, Texas 15:04 Anchorage, Alaska 16:04 Summary Support me on Patreon & get exclusive / ahead of time content! https://www.patreon.com/generalknowledge
View Video Transcript
0:00
This is a map of every major city in the continental United States, pointed out by the small black dots
0:06
Signaled by the black stars are each state's capital, not necessarily their biggest city
0:10
but one of them if it was chosen and remains as their capital
0:14
I came across this map a few weeks ago and a question came into my mind, why is each of these cities located where they are
0:21
Because the vast majority of cities in the US, and to be fair almost everywhere else in the world
0:25
are pretty well located. It's a bit of a self-explaining issue, cities exist in places that are suitable, otherwise they either wouldn't have been created there or they wouldn't have survived
0:36
In addition, bigger and major cities are bigger because usually they are more adequately located, although other factors can also come into play
0:44
Let's provide a bit of context here, if you want to skip to the cities themselves, you can use the timestamps
0:50
The choice of location for the establishment of a human settlement usually has various different criteria depending on the case
0:57
And they have evolved and changed throughout history as we'll see ahead, but they tend to follow basic human needs
1:03
A freshwater supply, be it a river, lake, or underwater supply accessible through some type of well, and a suitable terrain
1:11
Humans have always gotten their food through either foraging, farming, or hunting, and each of these requires a suitable terrain
1:17
For instance, if you find yourself in a desert or an intense mountain region, you'll probably
1:22
think twice before settling your town there. In addition to those basic needs, and sometimes in replacement of them, other factors have
1:29
appeared and become relevant for the choice of location for human settlements
1:33
A military perspective? Is it in a military choke point? Is it elevated and thus easier to defend against enemies
1:39
Is it surrounded by mountains and so difficult to invade? Available resources
1:44
As human economy evolved into more than just survivability and basic sustenance and began
1:50
involving trade and development, other resources became relevant. Is it close to a source of iron
1:55
Is it near a forest? If you've ever played the game Civilization, you will know this more than most
2:00
The surrounding tiles of your city are key. Strategic location, mostly being connected to trade, although somewhat to sustenance
2:07
as well. The biggest example I can think of are coastal cities that developed during the age of European
2:12
discoveries and colonial empires because they were key points in trade routes
2:16
And also political will. A lot of times throughout history settlements were established not because of any of the
2:21
previous reasons, but simply because political leaders wanted to rule a specific region for
2:26
whatever reason, although sometimes those reasons are connected to the previous points
2:30
or serve as a way to get there. A good example of this is the amount of cities Alexander the Great founded and named Alexandria
2:37
throughout his conquests in Asia or, and interesting for this video, the establishment of American
2:42
settlements in the interior of the continent through the political concept of Manifest Destiny
2:47
where it was sold to Americans that it was their fate to colonize the lands to the west
3:01
So, after taking that perhaps too long explanation, which of these major settlements are the best
3:07
placed? In our yses, we will try to understand three things for each city
3:12
when they were established, why their specific location was initially chosen, and how they developed and how their location may have influenced or at least contributed
3:21
to that development. Let's start with what seems to be an overwhelming agreed upon
3:26
best located city in the US, Chicago. Today Chicago is home to almost 3 million people
3:31
I believe it's the third most populous city in the US. So how did it get there? In 1833
3:37
the town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within 7 years
3:41
it grew to over 6,000. And the early key to its development was precisely its geographic location
3:48
Chicago was built as a portage location between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system
3:53
Connecting these two great water trails meant comparatively easy access from the mouth of the
3:59
St. Lawrence River, the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico. Because
4:03
of this, it became an easy and important transportation hub between the East and West
4:08
United States. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants
4:13
from abroad and it kind of snowballed from there with its economy growing more and more just as its population In 1871 the city suffered a great and devastating fire but was able to rebuild and remain relevant
4:26
despite the setback, which I think proves just how valuable its location is that they
4:31
prefer to rebuild rather than move somewhere else. When it comes to objective geographic details, it's also incredibly located
4:39
It will avoid the rise of sea level due to not being near an ocean, it's supplied by
4:43
fresh water by the Great Lakes, surrounded by wide expanses of farmland from the Midwest
4:48
and also connects to most of inland America, navigable through the Mississippi River and its
4:52
cs. Now, before we keep going, a quick word from today's sponsor, Incogni. It all revolves
4:57
around one thing, data. Whether you know it or not, a lot of the websites you use or companies
5:02
you've bought from keep records of your personal data. With it, these companies can bother you
5:07
with promotions, they can sell your data to other businesses that will do the same, or worse
5:11
your data can fall into the hands of criminals who will leak it or blackmail you for it
5:16
Because every year there's hundreds of data breaches into company servers. Just last year
5:21
I was notified of my data being breached through the airline I usually use. But here's the good
5:25
part. Legally, these data brokers that store and potentially sell your data can be forced to delete
5:30
your personal information if you ask them to. And how do you get them to do it? With Incogni
5:36
They reach out to data brokers on your behalf, request your personal data removal, and deal with
5:41
any objections from their side. I did it a few months ago and I still get updates every month
5:45
Until now, they've sent 51 requests for data removal and 36 have been completed. Doing this
5:50
can have tremendous benefits, especially if you're from the US, like prevent identity fraud or help
5:55
you get better insurance rates. So try Incogni today at incogni.com slash knowledge. You can do
6:01
it for 30 days for free and if you choose to continue and sign up, you'll get an incredible
6:06
60% discount. Now, back to the video. Next, New York City. New York is a global center of commerce
6:13
today. It has almost 9 million people and is the most populous city in the US. It's located at the
6:18
southern tip of its state on one of the world's largest natural harbors, the New York Harbor
6:23
at the mouth of the Hudson River. Just as with Chicago, it seems this location of a connection
6:28
between a large deep water protected port and a large navigable river was important. Henry Hudson
6:34
after whom I believe the river is named, discovered it in 1609 and was instantly surprised
6:40
at the wideness of the river and the availability of fish. From very early on, first by the Dutch and
6:46
then the British, the New York harbor and city became an important site in America. However
6:50
New York's growth isn't directly linked with the importance of the harbor, although it's definitely
6:55
indirectly linked and has in it its cause. The city's exponential growth started in the early
7:01
19th century due to the rise of manufacturing in the city, which itself depended on New
7:05
York's primacy as a port. The construction of the Erie C also meant that New York could suddenly be a port of entry
7:12
and exit to goods imported and exported from the American interior. It connected the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, making New York the gateway to the continental
7:21
interior in a way that Boston, Philadelphia or Baltimore could not. Soon after, another c was built, linking the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River system
7:30
we just saw when we talked about Chicago. In addition, New York also benefited from the fact
7:35
it was the entryway of most immigrants, mostly from Europe, into the country, again due to having a
7:41
large port, many of which ended up staying there, snowballing again. The incredible location led to
7:46
more people, opportunity, growth of the economy, and that has remained as such up to today
7:52
Then also New Orleans. Many say that if not for the Erie C, New Orleans would have become the
7:57
port of choice for American trade due to its strategic location at the mouth of the Mississippi
8:02
River. The city was still so important that when it was still ruled by the French, the Americans
8:07
continuously tried to buy it from them, to the point that when they were negotiating for it
8:11
they were able to instead buy the whole of Louisiana. And during the 19th century
8:15
it became the US's wealthiest and third largest city. Its port shipped produce of much of the
8:21
nation's interior to the Caribbean and South America, and on the other way in
8:25
thousands of enslaved people were taken there to be sold as well
8:29
While at the same time an old Spanish law remained that allowed black people to live freely should they manage to achieve that freedom That important location at the mouth of the river and this specific situation allowed for a close straight connection with Central and South America and to some extent Europe as well which allowed it to grow a lot New Orleans geography is also
8:49
flawed though, much of it is below sea level and it's built on a swamp but its location was still
8:54
always enough to justify its importance. The biggest example I would argue on par with the
8:58
the Chicago Fire was the fact that Louisiana had the highest death rate of any US state
9:03
throughout the 1800s due to tropical diseases and yellow fever, but still it remained a
9:09
key city. More and more, we see how the two coasts, the Great Lakes, and I would argue most of
9:13
all the Mississippi River, are the source of many of the location choices for American cities
9:19
After all, the Mississippi River Basin is enormous and covers and connects through water
9:24
a tremendously large part of the US's territory. Moving to the west coast, San Francisco
9:29
California has always been an attractive destination due to its natural resources
9:34
San Francisco at the same time is located on a key place on the coast of the Pacific Ocean
9:38
in a fantastically shaped bay that allows for a large natural harbor
9:42
as well as a very good defensive location from attacks by sea. This however wasn't the key in its development, it was its proximity to another resource, gold
9:51
Between 1848 and 1855, San Francisco was transformed formed, from a small town of 800 people into a booming city of over 50,000, due to the discovery
10:01
of gold in the nearby Sierra Nevada. Just like Chicago or New Orleans, San Francisco was also marked by several serious earthquakes
10:08
and fires which still didn't bring the city down. The 1906 earthquake is the biggest example
10:13
More than 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city was destroyed, but still it kept going
10:20
It was just already too important to be abandoned. In 1915, they held a world fair and were able to showcase the progress and prosperity that
10:28
they had achieved, not necessarily from the gold rush directly, but from the influx of
10:32
population that it brought and the booming economy it caused. This fair and its visitors further boosted its development
10:38
The first transcontinental railroad began there and made it possible for people and goods
10:43
to travel to and from the east coast of America for the first time and of course spurring the
10:47
city's growth as a major financial center. Since then, they became known as a place for innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in the tech area
10:56
Across the country, Jacksonville in Florida. Not at all in population, but apparently in land size, Jacksonville is the biggest or largest city in the US
11:04
It's just that everything is so spread out, some people call it a conglomerate of small towns
11:09
This is due to a merger in 1968 of the Jacksonville city and the county of Duval
11:14
Its location at the mouth of the St. Johns River was key since native times
11:18
and the importance of the colonial settlement was enough for the Spanish to offer it as a ransom to the British
11:23
in order to recover Havana in Cuba in 1763. But the first population boost came with British development and the creation of plantations along this same river
11:33
This led to an increase in population and it becoming the center of commerce in Florida from very early on
11:39
During World War II, the US Navy became a major employer and economic force
11:44
constructing three Navy bases in the area. And it really seems that the snowball effect is real for all of these
11:50
A sort of virtuous cycle is created. Specific conditions lead to the creation of a city in this place, then it does well
11:57
Because of that, more people come and the economy expands and grows, and the cycle repeats itself at an increasingly bigger scale
12:05
Back in the West Coast, Los Angeles. Los Angeles is the second biggest city in the US in terms of people
12:10
While its natural conditions are slightly behind those of its West Coast partner
12:14
as San Francisco, it has in some aspects surpassed it in success. Partly due to resource-related
12:19
causes, namely the discovery of oil in 1890, which brought rapid growth to the city. Their
12:25
lack of enough fresh water was resolved with the construction of an aqueduct in 1913. It also has
12:31
one of the busiest container ports in America, representing roughly 20% of all cargo coming into
12:36
the United States. What's interesting is that, upon the foundation of the city, the port was too
12:40
for large ships and it had to be expanded. It was initially fishing, canneries, oil drilling and shipbuilding
12:46
that became the major industries that generated jobs and commerce to LA and its growing population
12:52
And that led to the need to expand the port And by 1912 construction widened it enough to be able to accommodate larger vessels Its film industry has also been a cause for success being the world
13:03
largest, but this one is circumstantial and not caused by location choice. It seems the
13:08
only location-related causes for success were the proximity to oil resources and the coastal
13:13
element. Further south, Houston and Texas. The fourth most populated city in the country
13:19
with over 7 million people. Houston is also near a fantastic natural harbor, Trinity Bay
13:24
It also has rivers and lakes that supply it with fresh water
13:28
The proximity to the port was key. Landlocked farmers from other parts of Texas brought
13:32
their produce to Houston and paid to have it shipped from there. By 1860, Houston had
13:37
emerged as a commercial and railroad hub for the export of cotton. It's a flat area which
13:42
helps with urban planning and expansion as well as the early establishment of ranches
13:47
for animal breeding and farms for food production. Similarly to LA, resources were also key and its
13:52
growth was really catapulted by the discovery of oil. In addition, the choice of NASA and its
13:57
contractors to build and move much of their activity there in 1961, perhaps due to those
14:02
flat land conditions, led to another boost in the city's growth. Furthermore, in the 1970s
14:08
a lot of people from the Rust Belt moved there in search of jobs, since there were a lot of
14:12
opportunities in the petroleum industry created as a result of the Arab oil embargo. Even with
14:17
these coincidences that were beneficial, they're always connected to the availability of natural
14:22
resources in that location. Dallas, Texas, on the other hand, is an opposite example of a city that
14:28
shouldn't have worked according to those basic criteria and location details. It's apparently
14:33
one of the largest cities in the world that isn't on a navigable waterway or any natural freshwater
14:38
supply. It has mostly grown from travel, tourism and beneficial tax laws that brought with them
14:44
a lot of big companies that chose to set up their headquarters there in order to pay less taxes
14:49
Dallas-Forthworth is in fact one of the busiest airports in the world and the lack of water issue
14:54
was solved through artificial lakes that are supplied by other lakes in the state via pipelines
15:00
proving sometimes location isn't everything, it's also what you do with the place
15:04
An honorable mention outside the continental USA must go to Anchorage, Alaska
15:08
It's at the confluence of the Suzitna, Nick, and Matanuska rivers, and the Matanuska Valley contains most of the agriculture in Alaska
15:17
It's also kind of immune to land invasions due to its remoteness and the Shugak Mountains
15:22
The city grew from its happenstance choice as a site for railroad construction in Alaska to begin in 1914
15:29
The waters near Ship Creek were deep enough for barges and small ships to dock
15:34
and bring in supplies for that construction. So again, water access was the key, especially the
15:39
coastal location. And as the Northwest Passage becomes a more viable route for trade, its location
15:45
becomes even more valuable. Even already, from a flight perspective, it seems to be among the top
15:50
five busiest airports in the US, almost entirely due to shipping. When it was first established by
15:56
the Russians, it wasn't too important, but after the US purchase, gold was found in 1888, which
16:02
initially led to more people moving there. So those are some of the best placed cities in the
16:07
United States, each of them being adequately located for various reasons, sometimes a combination of
16:13
them, but almost always connected to the natural resources of said location. For a city to be
16:18
successful, especially since the start of globalization in the 16th century, it doesn't
16:23
need to fulfill all those initial criteria we first saw. Today, resources move around, trade exists
16:29
means of transportation and travel and so a city can be hugely successful for one single reason
16:34
that happened to make it so. It's therefore difficult to choose among all these major cities
16:39
in the US which are the best located or even to define some as being well located or not. However
16:45
I believe the examples we saw in this video illustrate most cases as the causes for each
16:50
of their successes are in some extent applicable to each major American city. But what do you think
16:56
Do you agree that the cities I showed have a good location? Is that the cause for their success or not
17:01
And which other well or poorly located cities exist in the US
17:06
Let me know in the comments. Thanks so much for watching this video. Subscribe if you want and I will see you next time for more general knowledge
#education
#Historical Sites & Buildings
#Hobbies & Leisure