First choose any US city by entering it and choosing it in the drop-down box. Then, name any US city in each 100 mile circle/ring as the rings expand outward from your city of choice, trying to name SECOND LARGEST city in each circle. The first circle will include your city of choice as a possible answer.
PLEASE NOTE - You must type a '.' (period) after each city to submit it to prevent answering another city with a name you would be have to type to get your answer. If multiple cities have the name you submitted, only the largest one will be counted.
You accumulate points based on the population of the city you named in relation to the second largest city in the circle. A smaller city’s point total will be the ratio of its population to the largest, so if you name a city of 75K people and the largest city has 100K, you get 75 points. Naming the largest city will get you points based on the ratio of the 2nd largest city's population to the largest city's.
When you run out of time or end the quiz, you will see the current ring’s 2nd largest city at right (under ‘Answer Stats’ by your coordinates).
For example, if you choose ‘Chicago’ – you will be shown a circle of radius 100 miles centered at Chicago. Naming any city in this circle (including Chicago) will cause another ‘ring’ of radius 100 miles to appear outside that circle, however - you will want to try naming the SECOND LARGEST city you can to get more points. After completing that circle, you now need to name any US city in the new ring (but not within any previous circles/rings), again trying to name the 2nd largest city. If there are not two cities within the next ring of that distance, the ring will keep expanding by that distance until two cities fall within it.
Quiz Takers 
For some reason, Rhode Island seems to have 78 places instead of 39, with 39 being blank places it seems?
Try reloading the quiz – it’s showing only 39 for me.
I’m getting the same bug, seems to double the number of places in every state
Hmm. I can’t replicate on my end. I did change something so try clearing your cache and reloading the quiz now.
Thanks, working again now!
Oftentimes, the quiz will glitch and the amount of cities will double. It’s done that to me before.
I am curious what census you get all city quizzes from – it’s silly but I use hugequiz as my info center for what cities are incorporated haha but I just found out today from a comment here that Cedar Highlands is NOT incorporated, and upon checking wikipedia finding that there is a Spring Lake, UT, as well as an Ogden Valley City, UT that are incorporated and it’s my first time ever hearing of them. They are very new cities like last 6 months so not at all surprised they aren’t on here yet but I am just curious.
Yeah I will update US cities when the next census estimates come out, and add/remove localities that are new/unincorporated. US census data is from the census.gov website and also citypopulation.de
There’s this one little city in Illinois that is driving me insane. LOL. It has 1,566 people according to the quiz. And, for the life of me, i cannot figure it out. I’ve perused Google Maps. I got nothing. I’ve zoomed in to where this mysterious city is. I’ve clicked on buildings in the area where this mysterious city is. These buildings are in East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, etc. But none are part of this mysterious city, despite being in the exact area where the quiz says it is.
It’s right there by East St. Louis, Cahokia Heights, etc. Just adding this in case I wasn’t clear. Lol
Update: It’s Alorton, IL. Holy smokes. That was a chore. LOL
Chimney Rock Villlage, NC does not work.
just tried it and it took.
Cedar Highlands, Utah is no longer incorporated due to a vote by the residents. It is now a CDP again.
Yeah when the next estimates come out from the census I have some city changes to make.
Census-designated PLACES are not places?
Ironically no, I don’t typically include them in my places quizzes. There are a few quizzes that do though.
Got down to 2 in Nebraska (yeah, I used google maps for the last 10% or so, it was still fun to remember some of the small towns I’d driven through, and I won’t be doing that for any other states), and was sure you’d misspelled them. Turns out I wasn’t using the official names, as you were. Only found out after checking wikipedia for the towns. I had even stayed in one town that my college roommate was from, and it was a totally different name than what he used, and what maps show. Oh well.
Whew! 100% on New Jersey after at least 10 tries.
Well, chapeau to those who are able complete any given State(s) without cheating. Fantastic effort.
@waynejoe: You underestimate us. I finally got 100% on New Hampshire towns today. That’s five states that I can name every town in. Next up: New Jersey and Vermont.
Finally! 100% on Maine towns after 5+ tries.
There are 566 municipalities in New Jersey. Sorry – no one can know all 566 of them with the smallest being less than 20 people. I grew up in this state and in 50+ years have traveled all over it but still haven’t been in many of the towns especially in south and west Jersey.
Looking at my state (Idaho) it’s pretty obvious which part I’ve never been to (the far southeast)
What, no Mexica TX?
It’s Mexia (no c)
Started in Houston….finished in Nesbitt. That is one helluva Texas road trip! I have to get some aloe-vera now because my left arm is sunburnt! Too much fun! Great Quiz!