Cities · Puzzle #38 · Friday, November 6
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
- Rainy: 1 pt per 8 inches of rain a year
- Far from the equator: 1 pt per 6° north or south
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- High altitude: 1 pt per 500 ft above sea level
- Big city: 1 pt per doubling over 10,000 people
- Known worldwide: 1 pt per 30 Wikipedia languages
- Packed in: 1 pt per doubling over 40 people per square mile
The best board
- Montreal in Most looked-up: its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025 (8.7)
- Reykjavík in Far from the equator: lies 64° from the equator (10.0)
- Panama City in Hot spot: averages 81°F over the year (10.0)
- Harbin in Big city: has 10.6 million people within its city limits (10.0)
- Aspen in High altitude: sits 7,890 ft above sea level (10.0)
- Prague in Known worldwide: Wikipedia has an article on it in 268 languages (8.9)
- Jakarta in Packed in: packs in 43,565 people per square mile (10.0)
- Phuket in Rainy: gets 100 inches of rain a year (10.0)
The most this board could score: 77.6 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Montreal
Quebec, Canada
Photo: https://www.pxfuel.com/, CC0 Montreal's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 8.7: its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.2, since it sits 102 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 43 inches of rain a year (5.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 46° from the equator (7.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025 (8.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 44°F over the year (2.7) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 102 ft above sea level (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q340, P2044
- Big city
- has 1.9 million people within its city limits (7.6) Source: Wikidata Q340, P1082, 2024
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 193 languages (6.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 9,857 people per square mile (7.9) Source: Wikipedia
Reykjavík
Iceland
Photo: Hedwig Storch, CC BY-SA 3.0 Reykjavík lies 64° from the equator, so its best fit on this board was Far from the equator, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.1, since it sits 26 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 65 inches of rain a year (8.1) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 64° from the equator (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 672,956 times in 2025 (4.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 40°F over the year (2.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 26 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q1764, P2044
- Big city
- has 138,772 people within its city limits (3.8) Source: Wikidata Q1764, P1082, 2025
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 217 languages (7.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 1,473 people per square mile (5.2) Source: Wikipedia
Panama City
Panama
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0 On this board Panama City scored best in Hot spot (10.0): it averages 81°F over the year. High altitude was its weakest fit (0.1): it sits 66 ft above sea level. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 76 inches of rain a year (9.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 9° from the equator (1.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 317,783 times in 2025 (2.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 81°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 66 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q3306, P2044
- Big city
- has 1.54 million people within its city limits (7.3) Source: Wikidata Q3306, P1082, 2026
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 159 languages (5.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 14,504 people per square mile (8.5) Source: Wikipedia
Harbin
Heilongjiang, China
Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0 Harbin has 10.6 million people within its city limits, so its best fit on this board was Big city, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 1.0, since it sits 492 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 23 inches of rain a year (2.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 46° from the equator (7.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 432,808 times in 2025 (2.9) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 39°F over the year (1.8) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 492 ft above sea level (1.0) Source: Wikidata Q42956, P2044
- Big city
- has 10.6 million people within its city limits (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q42956, P1082, 2010
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 134 languages (4.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 519 people per square mile (3.7) Source: Wikipedia
Aspen
Colorado, USA
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 On this board Aspen scored best in High altitude (10.0): it sits 7,890 ft above sea level. Big city was its weakest fit (0.0): it has 7,004 people within its city limits. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 21 inches of rain a year (2.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 39° from the equator (6.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 219,056 times in 2025 (1.5) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 31°F over the year (0.2) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 7,890 ft above sea level (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q205842, P2044
- Big city
- has 7,004 people within its city limits (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q205842, P1082, 2020
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 80 languages (2.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 1,808 people per square mile (5.5) Source: Wikipedia
Prague
Czech Republic
Photo: Deror_avi, CC BY-SA 4.0 Prague's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 9.1: its Wikipedia article was read 1.37 million times in 2025. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 1.5, since it sits 771 ft above sea level. The best board puts it in Known worldwide instead, for 8.9, and gives Most looked-up to Montreal (8.7).
- Rainy
- gets 25 inches of rain a year (3.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 50° from the equator (8.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.37 million times in 2025 (9.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 48°F over the year (3.6) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 771 ft above sea level (1.5) Source: Wikidata Q1085, P2044
- Big city
- has 1.4 million people within its city limits (7.1) Source: Wikidata Q1085, P1082, 2025
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 268 languages (8.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 7,296 people per square mile (7.5) Source: Wikipedia
Jakarta
Indonesia
Photo: Medelam, CC BY 4.0 Jakarta packs in 43,565 people per square mile, so its best fit on this board was Packed in, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.6, since it sits 299 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 87 inches of rain a year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 6.2° from the equator (1.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1 million times in 2025 (6.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 81°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 299 ft above sea level (0.6) Source: Wikidata Q3630, P2044
- Big city
- has 11.1 million people within its city limits (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q3630, P1082, 2024
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 251 languages (8.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 43,565 people per square mile (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
Phuket
Thailand
Photo: Полина Славянская, CC BY 3.0 On this board Phuket scored best in Rainy (10.0): it gets 100 inches of rain a year. High altitude was its weakest fit (0.1): it sits 43 ft above sea level. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 100 inches of rain a year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 7.9° from the equator (1.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 94,862 times in 2025 (0.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Hot spot
- averages 82°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 43 ft above sea level (0.1) Source: Copernicus GLO-90, via Open-Meteo
- Big city
- has 77,610 people within its city limits (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q844430, P1082, 2014
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 60 languages (2.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 16,751 people per square mile (8.7) Source: Wikipedia
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