These days, we just have to take our amusement anywhere we can find it, including in the bizarre and sometimes inexplicable history of our surroundings. Here are 22 of our very favorite weird town names in Pennsylvania. Some of them come with explanations, while others are mysteriously devoid of an understood origin. We hope you find them as amusing as we do.

1. Apollo
Flickr Doug Kerr
This town was originally named Warren.
2. Armagh
AllTrails Amy Sibert
Bless you! Armagh is the oldest town in Indiana County.
3. Athens
Flickr Doug Kerr
In 2011, Tropical Storm Lee left much of Athens underwater, resulting in millions of dollars worth of damage. It did not fare as well over time as its Greek counterpart.
4. Big Beaver
Wikipedia Nyttend
As you might guess, Big Beaver is located in Beaver County. We can’t help but wonder just how big the beaver who inspired this name was.
5. Big Run
Flickr Doug Kerr
Big Run is named after a waterway. Why, though?
6. Blue Ball
Flickr Romana klee
Possibly the most legendarily silly-named town in Pennsylvania, Blue Ball takes its name from a local hotel, not from whatever you were thinking.
7. California
VitaleBaby at Wikipedia
8. Confluence
Drawn and published by T. M. Fowler. 1905 via Wikimedia Commons
Confluence is a bizarre, yet weirdly beautiful name for a town.
9. Daisytown
Jon Dawson
The population of Daisytown is only 326!
10. Dallas
Jakec at English Wikipedia
This town is named after Alexander Dallas, the 6th Secretary of the Treasury. It has nothing to do with Texas.
11. Driftwood
Flickr Jimmy Emerson, DVM
When it was founded, Driftwood was the center of the lumber industry in Pennsylvania. Now, it’s just a funny name.

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12. Economy
"GrottoandHarmonyStatue" by Lee Paxton (Original uploader was Leepaxton at en.wikipedia) - Photo by Lee PaxtonTransferred from en.wikipedia(Original text : self-made). Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A Harmonist society founded Economy, Pennsylvania, and named it to represent their principles of living.
13. Throop
Throop Boro
Now this one is just fun to say.
14. Houston
Flickr Doug Kerr
First Dallas, now Houston. Apparently, Pennsylvania secretly wishes it were Texas. Is there a Pennsylvania, Texas? Asking for a friend.
15. Intercourse
Flickr Doug Kerr
Intercourse has such a strange and suggestive name that it’s become a popular tourist destination simply for that reason. Meanwhile, our inner fourth-graders can’t stop giggling about it.
16. Moosic
Flickr Nicholas T
Even though this may sound like a funny variation on the word "music," the name actually is the Lenape word for "elk place." See, that’s a thing you know now.
17. Jersey Shore
"Jersey Shore, PA (3874273126)" by Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States - 083009 524Uploaded by GrapedApe. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Jersey Shore was not named to confuse you, although it may seem that way. Rather, some of its original inhabitants were from New Jersey.
18. Mars
"SpaceshipMarsPA" by Michael Salone - Photo taken in Mars, PA. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
The history of how Mars received its name is unknown. They probably – probably – weren’t Martians, though.
19. Paint
Wikipedia Nyttend
Paint, Pennsylvania, is located near Johnstown.
20. Red Lion
Flickr JOHN LLOYD
Red Lion is named after a local tavern. Imagine being such a legendary bar that the entire town is named after you.
21. Scalp Level
Wikipedia Nyttend
This is probably the weirdest and creepiest town name on this list. It is located within a stone’s throw of Paint.
22. Pringle
Glane23 - Own work - Wikimedia Commons
We wonder if the people of Pringle love Pringles. We also wonder how sick they are of that question. Probably a lot.

 

How many of these weird town names in Pennsylvania have you ever visited? Which one is your favorite? Tell us in the comments!
Craving a little more Pennsylvania weirdness? Check this article out – you might have broken one of those weird laws and never known it!

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Weird Town Names in Pennsylvania

Tori Jane | March 25, 2021

What are some funny town names in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has a bunch of ridiculous-sounding and downright amusingly-named towns. Ever heard of Bird-In-Hand? Now you have. What about Noodle Doosie? Yeah, that's real. That's a town. Then there's Jugtown, and we're not really sure we're even curious about the backstory on that one (but we'll take one on Noodle Doosie, though). Every state generally has its share of strangely-named places, but it seems like Pennsylvania might have the market cornered on that one.

Where are some little-known Pennsylvania towns?

There are some towns in the state of Pennsylvania that are so small that nobody seems to have ever heard of them. Parker, Pennsylvania, is so tiny that it's only otherwise known as the "smallest city in the USA". Baileyville has a population of under 300, and it's not exactly something you'd plan to visit if you didn't know it existed. That's part of what's beautiful about these small towns; they're not crowded, they're not busy, and everyone knows your name. Another favorite small town is Marklesburg, Pennsylvania, with a population of a little over 200. Check out this list of some of our very favorite picks for great Pennsylvania small towns.

What are some interesting facts about Pennsylvania?

There are lots of intriguing things about our beautiful state if you know where to look! Did you know that in the early 1900s, the first-ever baseball stadium was erected in Pittsburgh? Philadelphia was the proud home of the first computer back in the 1940s. Betsey Ross, the creator of the American flag, made the very first one - you guessed it, in Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. Kennett Square is the mushroom capital of the world. We could go on. 

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