A US map challenge
Choose United States and generate ten places. Locate each on a map, then compare its region and recorded population.
Loading the local dataset…
34,179 GeoNames cities15000 records: populated places over 15,000 people or capitals. This is not every city. Population dates vary; the figures are not current estimates. GeoNames, CC BY 4.0; extracted October 23, 2026. The adapted database with its country-region join is licensed under ODbL 1.0, with GeoNames attribution retained.
34,179 static GeoNames records (CC BY 4.0), downloaded October 23, 2026; country labels from mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). The adapted combined database is ODbL 1.0 with GeoNames attribution retained and is downloadable from the tool. Results are generated locally.
How to use the Random City Generator
- 01
Choose a region and optionally a country or territory. Set a minimum recorded population or choose national capitals only.
- 02
Set the number of places to generate. Keep the session no-repeat option on to explore different places with each draw.
- 03
Generate and inspect the country, population, and map link. Copy or download the current batch as plain text.
Examples
A large-city writing exercise
Set the minimum population to 1,000,000 and generate three places. Research daily life in one of them before developing a setting.
Capital practice
Choose Europe and National capitals only. Generate a batch of five and practice matching each capital with its country.
Coverage: 34,179 populated places
This tool uses the GeoNames cities15000 snapshot downloaded October 23, 2026. That extract covers populated places with more than 15,000 people or capitals. It is not a complete list of legally designated cities or every settlement in the world. A record can describe a populated place or an urban subdivision rather than a municipality.
Population and capital filters
Population figures come from individual GeoNames records, whose dates and definitions vary. They are not synchronized current estimates or metro-area rankings. National capitals only selects feature code PPLC; other administrative capitals are not included by that option.
Equal odds per place
Every matching GeoNames record has equal selection probability. A country with more eligible records is therefore more likely to appear in an unrestricted draw. To give a particular country all the draws, use the country filter. Distinct records can share a name, so the result and export include country and coordinates.
What to know
- Not every city, town, or settlement is included. GeoNames records may be incomplete, outdated, or use varying population boundaries.
- Country and region labels use the separately attributed mledoze/countries dataset.
Common questions
Does this include every city?
No. It includes the 34,179 matching records in the downloaded cities15000 extract, generally populated places over 15,000 people or capitals. Small towns and some settlements are absent.
Why does a place show a surprisingly small population?
Capitals can be included below the usual population threshold, and source population records differ in date and geographic extent. Use the population filter to apply a consistent numeric cutoff to the stored values.
Why are there two places with the same name?
Different places can share a name. No-repeat selection uses the GeoNames record ID rather than the displayed name, preserving distinct locations.
Does opening a map share my selection?
Generating stays in your browser. Choosing View location opens OpenStreetMap with the displayed coordinates in the URL, so that external site receives the location you choose to view.