Map found on Reddit
Have you ever stood with one foot in two states at the same time? Millions of Americans live that reality every single day, and some of their towns wear it proudly in their very names. This delightful map rounds up dozens of real US communities whose names are literally a mashup of the states, or countries, they straddle.
The Art of the Blended Name
The concept is simple and surprisingly charming. Take Texarkana, sitting right on the Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana tripoint, and you get a name that does exactly what it says on the tin. Or consider Calexico in California, sitting across from its Mexican twin Mexicali. One side of the border, one name. Flip it around, and you have the other. Geography as wordplay.
Some Standout Examples Worth Knowing
Kenvir, Kentucky sits near the convergence of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia, while Kenova WV nearby echoes the same trio of states in its own name. Up in the mid-Atlantic, Pen Mar PA/MD and Marydel MD/DE each quietly announce exactly where they are on a map, no GPS required.
Out west, Cal Nev Ari in Nevada is perhaps the most ambitious of them all, cramming California, Nevada, and Arizona into four syllables. Texhoma on the Texas/Oklahoma border and Texico on the Texas/New Mexico line follow the same satisfying logic.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
These names are not just quirky trivia. They reflect how communities form organically around geographic and economic crossroads. Border towns often develop distinct cultures, blending the regulatory environments, tax structures, and social norms of the places they connect. Historically, many grew up around rail depots, river crossings, or trade routes where the line on a map was less important than the flow of goods and people across it.
A Living Geography Lesson
What makes this map so enjoyable is that it proves geography can have a sense of humor. Virginilina VA sits on the Virginia/North Carolina border, and Florala AL anchors the Alabama/Florida line. Calneva CA does the California/Nevada split in five letters. Each name is essentially a tiny monument to the idea that borders are, at their core, human constructions, and humans have a habit of acknowledging them with a wink.
Next time you are driving through one of these towns, look up and appreciate the sign. Someone, somewhere, looked at two states and thought: why choose?
Want to Explore More?
The notes on the map highlight that some locations sit at three state junctions simultaneously, making their naming conventions even more impressive. Texarkana TX/AR technically acknowledges Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana all at once. That is a lot of geography packed into one zip code.
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