There’s a town in Oregon called Boring. It has a sister city called Dull. They are not making this up, and neither are we. Somewhere in the process of naming places, humanity collectively decided that dignity was optional, and the results are some of the funniest entries on any map you’ll ever read.
Every single town on this list is real, verifiable, and currently (or recently) inhabited by actual humans who have to write these names on their tax returns. Let’s take a tour.
Boring, Oregon: The Town That Embraced the Joke
Boring, Oregon has a population of roughly eight thousand people, and not a single one of them chose the name. The town was named after its founder, William H. Boring, who established a homestead there in 1903. For decades, residents just lived with it. Then they decided to lean into it hard.
In 2012, Boring officially became a sister city with Dull, a village in Perthshire, Scotland. Then in 2013, Bland, a town in New South Wales, Australia, joined the partnership. Together, they’re known as the “Trinity of Tedium” — and they celebrate their alliance with an annual “Boring and Dull Day” on August 9th. The town sells merchandise. There are signs. It’s a whole thing. Boring has never been more interesting.
Why, Arizona: When a Single Letter Isn’t Enough
The unincorporated community of Why, Arizona sits at the junction of State Routes 85 and 86, where the roads originally formed a Y-shaped intersection. Residents wanted to call the place “Y.” Simple. Clean. One letter. Arizona state law, however, required that place names contain at least three characters.
So “Y” became “Why.” The population hovers around 116 people, most of whom are presumably tired of explaining this to visitors. The intersection has since been reconfigured into a T-shape, which means the name no longer makes geographic sense either. Why indeed.
Did Batman, Turkey Really Try to Sue Warner Bros?
Batman is a real city in southeastern Turkey with a population of over 340,000 people. It’s the capital of Batman Province, sits on the Batman River, and existed long before a guy in a cape showed up in comic books in 1939. The city’s name likely derives from a nearby tributary called the Batman Su.
In 2008, the city’s governor, Huseyin Kalkan, made international headlines when he announced plans to sue Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. over the use of the Batman name in The Dark Knight. He claimed the film was responsible for a number of unsolved crimes and a high suicide rate among women in the city. The lawsuit never materialized, but it generated enormous media coverage. Sometimes the best tourism strategy is threatening to sue a billionaire superhero. If you enjoyed this, the story of historical events that sound completely fake has similarly unbelievable true tales.
Intercourse, Pennsylvania: Surrounded by Equally Awkward Neighbors
Founded in 1754 in Lancaster County, Intercourse sits in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish) country. The name’s origin is debated — it may refer to the intersection of two roads or the old English meaning of “intercourse” as social interaction and commerce. Either way, the name has made it one of the most photographed road signs in America.
What makes Intercourse even better is its neighborhood. Nearby towns include Bird-in-Hand, Paradise, Blue Ball, and Virginville. Lancaster County’s mapmakers either had an extraordinary sense of humor or absolutely none at all. Tourist shops in Intercourse sell shirts reading “I Love Intercourse, PA” that remain perennial bestsellers.
Hell, Michigan: Where “Hell Freezes Over” Is a Weather Report
Hell, Michigan has a population of roughly 266 people and a temperature that regularly drops well below zero in winter. This means that Hell literally freezes over every single year, generating the same headline that somehow never gets old.
The town fully embraces its name. You can become the “Mayor of Hell” for a day for about one hundred dollars, which includes a certificate and the right to make proclamations. There’s a gift shop selling novelty items. The town holds events with names like “Hell Hole Diner” specials and “Devil’s Night” celebrations. It’s the rare town that turned a terrible name into a sustainable tourist economy. For more places that seem too absurd to exist, check out museums dedicated to the weirdest things on earth.
The Quick Round: Five More Towns That Sound Like Typos
Accident, Maryland got its name in 1751 when two surveying parties accidentally surveyed the same parcel of land. Rather than fight over it, someone named the resulting settlement Accident, and it stuck. The town has a population of about 325 and presumably a very high insurance premium.
Nothing, Arizona was exactly what it sounds like — a gas station, four mobile homes, and a road sign reading “Town of Nothing.” At its peak, it was barely a dot on the map. Today it’s completely abandoned, population zero, but the sign became a tourist attraction in its own right. People would drive hours through the desert specifically to take a photo with a sign that says “Nothing.”
Climax, Michigan (population 796) and Climax, Georgia (population 290) both exist, both are real, and both have residents who have heard every possible joke. Climax, Michigan even has a sign that reads “Welcome to Climax” that may be the most stolen road sign in American history.
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico has the best origin story of any town name in America. In 1950, the city was called Hot Springs. Then Ralph Edwards, host of the popular NBC radio show “Truth or Consequences,” announced he would broadcast from the first town that renamed itself after his program. Hot Springs took the bet, changed its name, and Edwards kept his promise — broadcasting from the town and returning for its annual fiesta every year until his death. The name stuck permanently.
The Unpronounceable Champion: A Welsh Town With 58 Letters
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a village on the island of Anglesey in Wales. That is its actual, legal, full name. It has 58 letters, making it the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest in the world.
The name roughly translates to “Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.” And here’s the kicker — the name was deliberately lengthened in the 1860s as a publicity stunt to give the town’s railway station the longest name in Britain. It worked. Over a hundred and sixty years later, tourists still flock to the station to take photos with the sign and attempt — almost always unsuccessfully — to pronounce it.
Locals just call it Llanfairpwll. Or Llanfair PG. Because life is short, even if your town’s name isn’t.
One last thing… There’s a town in Newfoundland, Canada, called Dildo. Population roughly 1,200. In 2019, comedian Jimmy Kimmel launched a campaign to become its honorary mayor. The town council politely declined. Dildo also has a giant wooden squid statue in the harbor, because of course it does.
What’s the funniest town name you’ve ever driven through or visited? We want to hear your best ones in the comments — bonus points if you have a photo with the sign.