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Cities · Puzzle #22 · Wednesday, October 21

Cities: the board

Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Cities.

The categories

The best board

The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.

The lineup, figure by figure

  1. Cologne

    North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

    Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

    On this board Cologne scored best in Old town (10.0): it was founded in 38 BC, 2,064 years ago. Capital city was its weakest fit (0.0): it isn't its country's capital.

    Known worldwide
    Wikipedia has an article on it in 190 languages (6.3) Source: Wikipedia
    Hot spot
    averages 50°F over the year (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Most looked-up
    its Wikipedia article was read 829,015 times in 2025 (5.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
    Sprawl
    covers 156 square miles (6.3) Source: Wikidata Q365, P2046
    Capital city
    isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Big city
    has 1.03 million people within its city limits (6.7) Source: Wikidata Q365, P1082, 2025
    Old town
    was founded in 38 BC, 2,064 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
    High altitude
    sits 194 ft above sea level (0.4) Source: Wikidata Q365, P2044

  2. Dublin

    Ireland

    Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Dublin is its country's capital, so its best fit on this board was Capital city, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.1, since it sits 66 ft above sea level.

    Known worldwide
    Wikipedia has an article on it in 238 languages (7.9) Source: Wikipedia
    Hot spot
    averages 50°F over the year (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Most looked-up
    its Wikipedia article was read 1.05 million times in 2025 (7.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
    Sprawl
    covers 44 square miles (4.5) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P2046
    Capital city
    is its country's capital (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Big city
    has 592,713 people within its city limits (5.9) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P1082, 2022
    Old town
    was founded in 841, 1,185 years ago (9.2) Source: Wikipedia
    High altitude
    sits 66 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P2044

  3. Istanbul

    Turkey

    Photo: SegLig, CC BY 4.0

    Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

  4. Cusco

    Peru

    Photo: gertrudis2010, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

  5. Shanghai

    China

    Photo: MasaneMiyaPA, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

  6. Hong Kong

    China

    Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0

    Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

  7. Munich

    Bavaria, Germany

    Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

    Munich was founded in 1158, 868 years ago, so its best fit on this board was Old town, worth 8.8. Its weakest was Capital city, worth 0.0, since it isn't its country's capital.

    Known worldwide
    Wikipedia has an article on it in 241 languages (8.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Hot spot
    averages 47°F over the year (3.4) Source: Wikipedia
    Most looked-up
    its Wikipedia article was read 976,175 times in 2025 (6.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
    Sprawl
    covers 120 square miles (5.9) Source: Wikidata Q1726, P2046
    Capital city
    isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
    Big city
    has 1.51 million people within its city limits (7.2) Source: Wikidata Q1726, P1082, 2025
    Old town
    was founded in 1158, 868 years ago (8.8) Source: Wikipedia
    High altitude
    sits 1,703 ft above sea level (3.4) Source: Wikidata Q1726, P2044

  8. Apia

    Samoa

    Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.

All of puzzle #22 · The archive