How Many Springfields in the USA? 28 (Plus the Simpsons')

There are 28 incorporated places named Springfield in the United States (per USGS GNIS). The most famous fictional one makes 29 in pop culture.

The 28 Real Springfields (by State)

1. Springfield, Alabama
2. Springfield, Arkansas
3. Springfield, Colorado
4. Springfield, Connecticut
5. Springfield, Florida
6. Springfield, Georgia
7. Springfield, Idaho
8. Springfield, Illinois (state capital, Lincoln home)
9. Springfield, Kentucky
10. Springfield, Louisiana
11. Springfield, Maine
12. Springfield, Maryland
13. Springfield, Massachusetts (Basketball Hall of Fame)
14. Springfield, Michigan
15. Springfield, Minnesota
16. Springfield, Missouri (third-largest in state)
17. Springfield, Nebraska
18. Springfield, New Hampshire
19. Springfield, New Jersey
20. Springfield, New York
21. Springfield, Ohio
22. Springfield, Oregon
23. Springfield, Pennsylvania
24. Springfield, South Carolina
25. Springfield, South Dakota
26. Springfield, Tennessee
27. Springfield, Vermont
28. Springfield, Virginia
29. Springfield, West Virginia

Notable Springfields

• IL: State capital, Lincoln sites, ~114k pop.
• MA: Basketball birthplace, Smith & Wesson, ~155k.
• MO: Route 66, Bass Pro HQ, ~170k.
• OR: Eugene neighbor, timber, ~62k.

Why So Many?

"Spring field" = descriptive toponym (spring + clearing). Settlers reused familiar names. 34 states have at least one; Wisconsin has 5 unincorporated Springfields.

Simpsons Note

Matt Groening chose "Springfield" for its ubiquity—"anytown, USA." The show deliberately obscures the state.