Cities · Puzzle #31 · Friday, October 30
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
- Sprawl: 1 pt per doubling over 2 square miles
- Old town: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years old
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- High altitude: 1 pt per 500 ft above sea level
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- Far from the equator: 1 pt per 6° north or south
- Big city: 1 pt per doubling over 10,000 people
- Packed in: 1 pt per doubling over 40 people per square mile
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
Vientiane
Laos
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0 On this board Vientiane scored best in Hot spot (9.7): it averages 79°F over the year. High altitude was its weakest fit (1.1): it sits 571 ft above sea level.
- Sprawl
- covers 1,514 square miles (9.6) Source: Wikidata Q9326, P2046
- Old town
- was founded in 1560, 466 years ago (7.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 247,059 times in 2025 (1.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
- High altitude
- sits 571 ft above sea level (1.1) Source: Wikidata Q9326, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 79°F over the year (9.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 18° from the equator (3.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 948,487 people within its city limits (6.6) Source: Wikidata Q9326, P1082, 2020
- Packed in
- packs in 627 people per square mile (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Photo: DaneyWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Seoul
South Korea
Photo: 라성민, CC BY-SA 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Zurich
Switzerland
Photo: Ikiwaner, CC BY-SA 3.0 On this board Zurich scored best in Old town (9.8): it was founded in 200, 1,826 years ago. High altitude was its weakest fit (2.7): it sits 1,339 ft above sea level.
- Sprawl
- covers 34 square miles (4.1) Source: Wikidata Q72, P2046
- Old town
- was founded in 200, 1,826 years ago (9.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 561,948 times in 2025 (3.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- High altitude
- sits 1,339 ft above sea level (2.7) Source: Wikidata Q72, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 48°F over the year (3.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 47° from the equator (7.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 452,421 people within its city limits (5.5) Source: Wikidata Q72, P1082, 2025
- Packed in
- packs in 13,334 people per square mile (8.4) Source: Wikipedia
Tromsø
Norway
Photo: The Municipality of Tromsø from Tromsø, Norway, CC BY 2.0 On this board Tromsø scored best in Far from the equator (10.0): it lies 70° from the equator. High altitude was its weakest fit (0.0): it sits 20 ft above sea level.
- Sprawl
- covers 8.2 square miles (2.0) Source: Wikidata Q42328401, P2046
- Old town
- was founded in 1794, 232 years ago (6.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 253,959 times in 2025 (1.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- High altitude
- sits 20 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q42328401, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 34°F over the year (0.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 70° from the equator (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 38,980 people within its city limits (2.0) Source: Wikidata Q42328401, P1082, 2017
- Packed in
- packs in 4,751 people per square mile (6.9) Source: Wikipedia
Papeete
French Polynesia
Photo: Remi Jouan, CC BY-SA 3.0 Papeete averages 79°F over the year, so its best fit on this board was Hot spot, worth 9.9. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.1, since it sits 30 ft above sea level.
- Sprawl
- covers 6.7 square miles (1.7) Source: Wikidata Q130800, P2046
- Old town
- was founded in 1818, 208 years ago (6.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 162,983 times in 2025 (1.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- High altitude
- sits 30 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q130800, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 79°F over the year (9.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 18° from the equator (2.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 26,654 people within its city limits (1.4) Source: Wikidata Q130800, P1082, 2022
- Packed in
- packs in 3,967 people per square mile (6.6) Source: Wikipedia
Delhi
India
Photo: A.Savin, FAL Delhi was founded in 500 BC, 2,526 years ago, so its best fit on this board was Old town, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 1.4, since it sits 725 ft above sea level.
- Sprawl
- covers 540 square miles (8.1) Source: Wikidata Q1353, P2046
- Old town
- was founded in 500 BC, 2,526 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.28 million times in 2025 (8.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
- High altitude
- sits 725 ft above sea level (1.4) Source: Wikidata Q1353, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 78°F over the year (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 29° from the equator (4.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Big city
- has 16.8 million people within its city limits (10.0) Source: Wikipedia infobox
- Packed in
- packs in 31,118 people per square mile (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
Dakar
Senegal
Photo: Jeff Attaway, CC BY 2.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
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