Historical City Information

Blue text = Secondary city in metro area

Red text = Suburb
2009 Name State 2009 Peak Year of
Population Population(1) Population Peak
Rank Population
20 Boston Massachusetts 645,169 801,444 1950
6 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1,547,297 2,071,605 1950
21 Baltimore Maryland 637,418 949,708 1950
1 New York City New York 8,391,881
12 San Francisco California 815,358
26 Milwaukee Wisconsin 604,133 741,324 1960
3 Chicago Illinois 2,851,268 3,620,962 1950
11 Detroit Michigan 910,920 1,849,568 1950
27 Washington District of
Columbia 599,657 802,178 1950
30 Portland Oregon 566,141
23 Seattle Washington 617,334
29 Louisville Kentucky 566,503
24 Denver Colorado 610,345
2 Los Angeles California 3,831,868
19 Memphis Tennessee 676,640
14 Indianapolis Indiana 807,584
16 Columbus Ohio 769,360
9 Dallas Texas 1,299,543
8 San Diego California 1,306,301
25 Nashville Tennessee 605,473
13 Jacksonville Florida 813,518
4 Houston Texas 2,257,926
17 Fort Worth Texas 727,575
22 El Paso Texas 620,447
7 San Antonio Texas 1,373,668
10 San Jose California 964,695
18 Charlotte North Carolina 709,441
15 Austin Texas 786,382
5 Phoenix Arizona 1,601,587
28 Las Vegas Nevada 567,641

31 Oklahoma City city Oklahoma 560,332

32 Tucson city Arizona 548,555
33 Atlanta city Georgia 540,921
34 Albuquerque city New Mexico 528,497
35 Kansas City city Missouri 482,299 507,087 1970
36 Fresno city California 479,921
37 Sacramento city California 466,687
38 Long Beach city California 462,604
39 Mesa city Arizona 462,486
40 Omaha city Nebraska 454,731
41 Virginia Beach city Virginia 433,575
42 Miami city Florida 433,136
43 Cleveland city Ohio 431,363 914,808 1950
44 Oakland city California 409,184
45 Raleigh city North Carolina 405,791
46 Colorado Springs city Colorado 399,827
47 Tulsa city Oklahoma 389,625
48 Minneapolis city Minnesota 385,542 521,718 1950
49 Arlington city Texas 380,084
50 Honolulu CDP Hawaii 374,701
51 Wichita city Kansas 372,186
52 St. Louis city Missouri 356,587 856,796 1950
53 New Orleans city Louisiana 354,850 627,525 1960
54 Tampa city Florida 343,890
55 Santa Ana city California 340,340
56 Anaheim city California 337,896
57 Cincinnati city Ohio 333,013 503,998 1950
58 Aurora city Colorado 324,655
59 Bakersfield city California 324,463
60 Toledo city Ohio 316,238 383,818 1970
61 Pittsburgh city Pennsylvania 311,647 676,806 1950
62 Riverside city California 297,859
63 Lexington-Fayette urban
county Kentucky 296,545
64 Stockton city California 287,578
65 Corpus Christi city Texas 287,438
66 Anchorage municipality Alaska 286,174
67 St. Paul city Minnesota 281,262 313,411 1960
68 Newark city New Jersey 278,154 442,337 1930
69 Plano city Texas 273,611
70 Buffalo city New York 270,240 580,132 1950
71 Henderson city Nevada 256,445
72 Fort Wayne city Indiana 255,890
73 Chandler city Arizona 255,230
74 Greensboro city North Carolina 255,061
75 Lincoln city Nebraska 254,001
76 Glendale city Arizona 252,188
77 St. Petersburg city Florida 244,324
78 Jersey City city New Jersey 242,503 316,715 1930
79 Scottsdale city Arizona 238,715
80 Orlando city Florida 235,860
81 Madison city Wisconsin 235,626
82 Norfolk city Virginia 233,333 307,951 1970
83 Birmingham city Alabama 230,130 340,887 1960
84 Winston-Salem city North Carolina 229,828
85 Durham city North Carolina 229,174
86 Laredo city Texas 226,122
87 Lubbock city Texas 225,856
 88 Baton Rouge city Louisiana 225,390
89 North Las Vegas city Nevada 224,387
90 Chula Vista city California 223,738
91 Chesapeake city Virginia 222,455
92 Garland city Texas 222,013
93 Reno city Nevada 219,636
94 Hialeah city Florida 218,896
95 Arlington CDP Virginia 217,483
96 Gilbert town Arizona 217,285
97 Irvine city California 209,716
98 Rochester city New York 207,294 332,488 1950
99 Akron city Ohio 207,216 290,351 1960
100 Boise City city Idaho 205,707
101 Irving city Texas 205,540
102 Fremont city California 205,514
103 Richmond city Virginia 204,451 249,621 1970
104 Spokane city Washington 203,276
105 Modesto city California 202,747
106 Montgomery city Alabama 202,124
107 Yonkers city New York 201,162
108 Tacoma city Washington 199,637

Correlation to 2009 Population

(1) 2009 Population Estimates per U.S. Census, SUB-EST2009-01.xls

(2) Date of earliest U.S. decennial census when population exceeded half of the peak population
 Columns For Chart:
Red text = City founded prior to joining the United States
Blue text = City founded in British Colonies prior to U.S. Independence
Year Year Population Half of Peak Founding Year
Founded Incorporated Half-life(2) Population Founded

1630 1630 1890 400,722 Colonial 1630

1682 1701 1890 1,035,803 Colonial spec. 1682
1729 1797 1900 474,854 1729
1624 1664 1910 4,195,941 Dutch 1624
1776 1850 1910 407,679 Spanish 1776
1818 1846 1910 370,662 1818
1830 1833 1910 1,810,481 1830
1701 1806 1920 924,784 French 1701

1751 1790 1920 401,089 (Georgetown) 1751

1845 1851 1920 283,071 1845
1851 1869 1920 308,667 1851
1778 1780 1930 283,252 1778
1858 1861 1940 305,173 1858
1781 1850 1950 1,915,934 1781
1819 1826 1950 338,320 1819
1821 1821 1950 403,792 1821
1812 1816 1960 384,680 1812
1841 1856 1960 649,772 1841
1769 1850 1970 653,151 Spanish 1769
1779 1806 1970 302,737 1779
1791 1832 1970 406,759 1791
1836 1837 1970 1,128,963 1836
1849 1876 1970 363,788 1849
1854 1873 1970 310,224 1854
1718 1845 1980 686,834 Spanish 1718
1777 1850 1980 482,348 Spanish 1777
1755 1768 1990 354,721 1755
1835 1839 1990 393,191 1835
1861 1881 1990 800,794 1861
1905 1911 2000 283,821 Railroad town 1905

1889 1889 1960 280,166 1889

1775 1856 1980 274,278 Spanish 1775
1837 1847 1940 270,461 1837
1706 1885 1980 264,249 Spanish 1706
1821 1850 1920 253,544 1821
1872 1885 1990 239,961 1872
1840 1850 1970 233,344 1840
1888 1888 1950 231,302 1888
1878 1883 1990 231,243 1878
1854 1857 1950 227,366 1854
1888 1906 1980 216,788 1888
1896 1896 1950 216,568 1896
1796 1814 1910 457,404 1796
1852 1852 1920 204,592 1852
1792 1792 1990 202,896 1792
1871 1886 1980 199,914 1871
1836 1898 1960 194,813 1836
1854 1856 1910 260,859 1854
1876 1884 1990 190,042 1876
1845 N/A 1950 187,351 Native Hawaiians, CDP 1845
1863 1870 1960 186,093 1863
1764 1822 1890 428,398 French 1764
1718 1722 1910 313,763 French 1718
1824 1849 1960 171,945 1824
1869 1886 1980 170,170 1869
1857 1870 1980 168,948 1857
1788 1802 1880 251,999 1788
1891 1903 1990 162,328 1891
1869 1873 1990 162,232 1869
1817 1837 1920 191,909 1817
1758 1794 1910 338,403 1758
1870 1883 1980 148,930 1870

1779 1782 1980 148,273 1779

1849 1850 1980 143,789 1849
1839 1852 1960 143,719 1839
1914 1920 1980 143,087 1914
1838 1849 1900 156,706 1838
1666 1836 1900 221,169 1666
1872 1873 2000 136,806 Railroad/ag town 1872
1789 1832 1900 290,066 1789
1943 1953 2000 128,223 US Military Base 1943
1650 1840 1950 127,945 Miami Tribal village 1650
1912 1920 2000 127,615 Agricultural town 1912
1808 1808 1970 127,531 1808
1856 1869 1960 127,001 1856
1892 1910 1990 126,094 Agricultural town 1892
1876 1892 1960 122,162 1876
1660 1820 1890 158,358 1660
1894 1951 1990 119,358 Ag./suburb 1894
1842 1875 1980 117,930 1842
1836 1848 1960 117,813 1836
1682 1705 1950 153,976 1682
1871 1871 1920 170,444 1871
1766 1851 1970 114,914 1766
1849 1869 1990 114,587 Railroad/tobacco 1849
1755 1849 1990 113,061 Spanish 1755
1884 1909 1960 112,928 1884
1763 1817 1950 112,695 1763
1941 1946 2000 112,194 US Military Base 1941
1887 1911 1990 111,869 Ag./suburb 1887
1919 1919 1980 111,228 1919
1887 1891 1980 111,007 1887
1859 1868 1990 109,818 Trading 1859
1921 1925 1980 109,448 1921
1896 N/A 1950 108,742 CDP 1896
1902 1920 2000 108,643 Agricultural town 1902
1888 1971 1990 104,858 Ag./suburb 1888
1811 1817 1910 166,244 1811
1825 1836 1920 145,176 1825
1863 1864 1990 102,854 Trading 1863
1903 1914 1970 102,770 1903
1797 1956 1970 102,757 Spanish 1797
1737 1742 1910 124,811 1737
1873 1881 1910 101,638 1873
1870 1884 1980 101,374 1870
1817 1819 1950 101,062 1817
1853 1854 1920 100,581 1853
1864 1875 1930 99,819 1864
Columns For Chart:

Year Populatio Peak Since Peak

Incorpora n Half- Populatio Population
ted life(2) n
0 260 60 60
19 189 60 60
68 103 50 60
40 246 100 0
74 60 100 0
28 64 50 50
3 77 40 60
105 114 30 60

39 130 30 60
6 69 90 0
18 51 90 0
2 150 80 0
3 79 70 0
69 100 60 0
7 124 60 0
0 129 60 0
4 144 50 0
15 104 50 0
81 120 40 0
27 164 40 0
41 138 40 0
1 133 40 0
27 94 40 0
19 97 40 0
127 135 30 0
73 130 30 0
13 222 20 0
4 151 20 0
20 109 20 0
6 89 10 0

0 71 50 0
81 124 30 0
10 93 70 0
179 95 30 0
29 70 50 40
13 105 20 0
10 120 40 0
0 62 60 0
 5 107 20 0
3 93 60 0
18 74 30 0
0 54 60 0
18 96 40 60
0 68 90 0
0 198 20 0
15 94 30 0
62 62 50 0
2 54 40 60
8 106 20 0
105 60 0
7 90 50 0
58 68 60 60
4 188 50 50
25 111 50 0
17 94 30 0
13 110 30 0
14 78 70 60
12 87 20 0
4 117 20 0
20 83 50 40
36 116 40 60
13 97 30 0

3 198 30 0
1 130 30 0
13 108 50 0
6 60 30 0
11 51 60 50
170 64 30 80
1 127 10 0
43 68 50 60
10 47 10 0
190 110 60 0
8 80 10 0
0 162 40 0
13 91 50 0
18 80 20 0
16 68 50 0
160 70 40 80
57 39 20 0
33 105 30 0
12 112 50 0
23 245 20 40
0 49 40 50
85 119 40 0
20 121 20 0
94 141 20 0
25 51 50 0
54 133 60 0
5 54 10 0
24 79 20 0
0 61 30 0
4 89 30 0
9 122 20 0
4 55 30 0
54 60 0
18 80 10 0
83 19 20 0
6 93 40 60
11 84 40 50
1 126 20 0
11 56 40 0
159 14 40 0
5 168 60 40
8 29 100 0
14 96 30 0
2 131 60 0
1 66 90 0
11 55 80 0
 Founded Incorporated Half-population Peak Population

1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000

Boston
Philadelphia
Baltimore
New York City
San Francisco
Milwaukee
Chicago
Detroit
Washington
Portland
Seattle
Louisville
Denver
Los Angeles
Memphis
Indianapolis
Columbus
Dallas
San Diego
Nashville
Jacksonville
Houston
Fort Worth
El Paso
San Antonio
San Jose
Charlotte
Austin
Phoenix
Las Vegas