Largest US metro area you've never heard of (statistics, bars)

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by Corey the Otter

I got down to Houma LA at 218, though I may have heard the name but wouldn't be able to find it on a map. I did also pause at Killeen-Temple.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrop...atistical_area

Home to Fort Hood, one of the largest Army bases in the U.S., and along the I-35 corridor.

[TheProtege]

119 Visalia, CA
146 Ocala, FL
After about 160 it went down hill pretty fast.

[mhays25]

There's a trend with some of these: People don't know the metro, but they might know something in the metro, or there's some big employer. Examples from my state:

Richland/Pasco/Kennewick, WA: PNW National Laboratory; Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Bremerton/Bainbridge: Lots and lots of US Navy.

Others have mentioned places like Sonoma and Ft. Hood, other examples.

[Kmanshouse]

#149 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton NC
#172 Longview TX
#221 Jacksonville NC
#228 Warner Robins GA
#264 Jackson MI

[paytonc]

Around #120 there are some place names I've heard of, but would struggle to place on a map - e.g., 117-119 Springfield MO, Killeen TX, Visalia CA.

Start to completely draw blanks with:
#162 Clarksville TN
#172 Longview TX
#194 Fort Smith AR
#198 Tyler TX
Doesn't help that they have pretty unremarkable names.

Funny thing about Kennewick-Richland is that I initially drew a blank on their names, but Pasco and Walla Walla (within the same CSA) are familiar.

[mike0421]

Muskegon Michigan, at 243. I could point to specific points of a blank US city map up until that one.

[Boston Shudra]

Bit embarrassing, but I actually hit a snag at #62: Bakersfield.

Had never heard of that one or Kern County.

[TimCity2000]

Barnstable Town, MA (#201)

[cjseliga]

I'm a map/geography guy, so I've heard of them all and can point them out on a map with no problem.

I was actually trying to see how many I have been to.

Just glancing through the top 100, I think I have been to at least 85 of them!

Out of the 384, I probably have been to 270+ of them.

[585WNY]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

Barnstable Town, MA (#201)

That’s Cape Cod. I actually thought it was part of the Boston metro area, but it’s just in the CSA.