Cities · Puzzle #3 · Friday, October 2
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
- Packed in: 1 pt per doubling over 40 people per square mile
- Sprawl: 1 pt per doubling over 2 square miles
- Capital city: 10 pts if its country's capital
- High altitude: 1 pt per 500 ft above sea level
- Old town: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years old
- Big city: 1 pt per doubling over 10,000 people
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
The best board
- Malé in Hot spot: averages 82°F over the year (10.0)
- Istanbul in Sprawl: covers 2,063 square miles (10.0)
- Barcelona in Packed in: packs in 44,274 people per square mile (10.0)
- St. Moritz in High altitude: sits 5,978 ft above sea level (10.0)
- Washington, D.C. in Capital city: is its country's capital (10.0)
- Toronto in Most looked-up: its Wikipedia article was read 1.66 million times in 2025 (10.0)
- Dublin in Old town: was founded in 841, 1,185 years ago (9.2)
- Yangon in Big city: has 6.87 million people within its city limits (9.4)
The most this board could score: 78.6 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Malé
Maldives
Photo: Shahee Ilyas, CC BY-SA 3.0 - Packed in
- packs in 59,400 people per square mile (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 2.2 square miles (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q9347, P2046
- Capital city
- is its country's capital (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 7 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q9347, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 500, 1,526 years ago (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 133,019 people within its city limits (3.7) Source: Wikidata Q9347, P1082, 2014
- Hot spot
- averages 82°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 307,830 times in 2025 (2.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
Istanbul
Turkey
Photo: SegLig, CC BY 4.0 - Packed in
- packs in 7,589 people per square mile (7.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 2,063 square miles (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q406, P2046
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 328 ft above sea level (0.7) Source: Wikidata Q406, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 657 BC, 2,683 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 15.7 million people within its city limits (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q406, P1082, 2023
- Hot spot
- averages 59°F over the year (5.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.61 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Barcelona
Catalonia, Spain
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 - Packed in
- packs in 44,274 people per square mile (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 39 square miles (4.3) Source: Wikidata Q1492, P2046
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 30 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q1492, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 15 BC, 2,041 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 1.73 million people within its city limits (7.4) Source: Wikidata Q1492, P1082, 2025
- Hot spot
- averages 60°F over the year (6.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.37 million times in 2025 (9.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
St. Moritz
Switzerland
Photo: Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain - Packed in
- packs in 451 people per square mile (3.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 11 square miles (2.5) Source: Wikidata Q68986, P2046
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 5,978 ft above sea level (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q68986, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 1139, 887 years ago (8.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 4,994 people within its city limits (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q68986, P1082, 2017
- Hot spot
- averages 33°F over the year (0.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 143,008 times in 2025 (1.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia, USA
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain - Packed in
- packs in 10,090 people per square mile (8.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 68 square miles (5.1) Source: Wikidata Q61, P2046
- Capital city
- is its country's capital (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 236 ft above sea level (0.5) Source: Wikidata Q61, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 1790, 236 years ago (6.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 689,545 people within its city limits (6.1) Source: Wikidata Q61, P1082, 2020
- Hot spot
- averages 56°F over the year (5.1) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 3.11 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Toronto
Ontario, Canada
Photo: Jchmrt, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Packed in
- packs in 11,484 people per square mile (8.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 243 square miles (6.9) Source: Wikidata Q172, P2046
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 249 ft above sea level (0.5) Source: Wikidata Q172, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 1750, 276 years ago (7.1) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 2.79 million people within its city limits (8.1) Source: Wikidata Q172, P1082, 2021
- Hot spot
- averages 48°F over the year (3.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.66 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
Dublin
Ireland
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Packed in
- packs in 13,350 people per square mile (8.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 44 square miles (4.5) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P2046
- Capital city
- is its country's capital (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 66 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 841, 1,185 years ago (9.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 592,713 people within its city limits (5.9) Source: Wikidata Q1761, P1082, 2022
- 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
Yangon
Myanmar
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Packed in
- packs in 30,909 people per square mile (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 222 square miles (6.8) Source: Wikidata Q37995, P2046
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 49 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q37995, P2044
- Old town
- was founded in 1035, 991 years ago (9.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 6.87 million people within its city limits (9.4) Source: Wikidata Q37995, P1082, 2022
- Hot spot
- averages 83°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 373,419 times in 2025 (2.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
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