Cities · Puzzle #40 · Sunday, November 8
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
- High altitude: 1 pt per 500 ft above sea level
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- Sprawl: 1 pt per doubling over 2 square miles
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- Old town: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years old
- Far from the equator: 1 pt per 6° north or south
- Packed in: 1 pt per doubling over 40 people per square mile
The best board
- Dubai in Most looked-up: its Wikipedia article was read 2.18 million times in 2025 (10.0)
- Saint Petersburg in Far from the equator: lies 60° from the equator (10.0)
- Venice in Old town: was founded in 421, 1,605 years ago (9.6)
- St. Moritz in High altitude: sits 5,978 ft above sea level (10.0)
- Buenos Aires in Packed in: packs in 39,770 people per square mile (10.0)
- Timbuktu in Hot spot: averages 84°F over the year (10.0)
- Perth in Sprawl: covers 2,478 square miles (10.0)
- Kyoto in Rainy: gets 65 inches of rain a year (8.2)
The most this board could score: 77.8 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Photo: Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 3.0 On this board Dubai scored best in Most looked-up (10.0): its Wikipedia article was read 2.18 million times in 2025. High altitude was its weakest fit (0.0): it sits 0 ft above sea level. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 4.3 inches of rain a year (0.5) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 0 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q612, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 82°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 576 square miles (8.2) Source: Wikipedia infobox
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 2.18 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1833, 193 years ago (6.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 25° from the equator (4.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 6,852 people per square mile (7.4) Source: Wikipedia
Saint Petersburg
Russia
Photo: Florstein (Telegram:WikiPhoto.Space), CC BY-SA 4.0 Saint Petersburg lies 60° from the equator, so its best fit on this board was Far from the equator, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.0, since it sits 10 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 32 inches of rain a year (3.9) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 10 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q656, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 40°F over the year (2.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 556 square miles (8.1) Source: Wikidata Q656, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.26 million times in 2025 (8.4) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1703, 323 years ago (7.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 60° from the equator (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 10,174 people per square mile (8.0) Source: Wikipedia
Venice
Veneto, Italy
Photo: European Space Agency, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo Venice was founded in 421, 1,605 years ago, so its best fit on this board was Old town, worth 9.6. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.0, since it sits 7 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 37 inches of rain a year (4.6) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 7 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q641, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 59°F over the year (5.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 161 square miles (6.3) Source: Wikidata Q641, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025 (8.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 421, 1,605 years ago (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 45° from the equator (7.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 1,559 people per square mile (5.3) Source: Wikipedia
St. Moritz
Switzerland
Photo: Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain St. Moritz sits 5,978 ft above sea level, so its best fit on this board was High altitude, worth 10.0. Its weakest was Hot spot, worth 0.6, since it averages 33°F over the year. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 45 inches of rain a year (5.6) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 5,978 ft above sea level (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q68986, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 33°F over the year (0.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 11 square miles (2.5) Source: Wikidata Q68986, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 143,008 times in 2025 (1.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1139, 887 years ago (8.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 47° from the equator (7.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 451 people per square mile (3.5) Source: Wikipedia
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0 Buenos Aires packs in 39,770 people per square mile, so its best fit on this board was Packed in, worth 10.0. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.2, since it sits 82 ft above sea level. That is where the best board puts it as well.
- Rainy
- gets 43 inches of rain a year (5.4) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 82 ft above sea level (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q1486, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 64°F over the year (6.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 79 square miles (5.3) Source: Wikidata Q1486, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 916,312 times in 2025 (6.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1580, 446 years ago (7.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 35° from the equator (5.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 39,770 people per square mile (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
Timbuktu
Mali
Photo: Senani P, CC BY 2.5 On this board Timbuktu scored best in Hot spot (10.0): it averages 84°F over the year. Rainy was its weakest fit (1.0): it gets 7.8 inches of rain a year. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 7.8 inches of rain a year (1.0) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 856 ft above sea level (1.7) Source: Wikidata Q9427, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 84°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 57 square miles (4.8) Source: Wikidata Q9427, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 586,492 times in 2025 (3.9) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1100, 926 years ago (8.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 17° from the equator (2.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 619 people per square mile (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
Perth
Western Australia, Australia
Photo: Samuel Wiki, CC BY 4.0 On this board Perth scored best in Sprawl (10.0): it covers 2,478 square miles. High altitude was its weakest fit (0.0): it sits 7 ft above sea level. The best board puts it there too.
- Rainy
- gets 26 inches of rain a year (3.3) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 7 ft above sea level (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q3183, P2044
- Hot spot
- averages 66°F over the year (7.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 2,478 square miles (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q3183, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 800,954 times in 2025 (5.3) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 1829, 197 years ago (6.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 32° from the equator (5.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 831 people per square mile (4.4) Source: Wikipedia
Kyoto
Japan
Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0 Kyoto was founded in 794, 1,232 years ago, so its best fit on this board was Old town, worth 9.3. Its weakest was High altitude, worth 0.3, since it sits 167 ft above sea level. The best board puts it in Rainy instead, for 8.2, and gives Old town to Venice (9.6).
- Rainy
- gets 65 inches of rain a year (8.2) Source: Wikipedia
- High altitude
- sits 167 ft above sea level (0.3) Source: Copernicus GLO-90, via Open-Meteo
- Hot spot
- averages 57°F over the year (5.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Sprawl
- covers 320 square miles (7.3) Source: Wikidata Q34600, P2046
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 712,256 times in 2025 (4.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Old town
- was founded in 794, 1,232 years ago (9.3) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 35° from the equator (5.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 4,579 people per square mile (6.8) Source: Wikipedia
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
