America’s Biggest Towns in 1790
In 1790, the first census was conducted in the United States. At that time, the country was very different from what we see today. The entire nation had 3,929,214 people. New York topped the list at 33,131, Philadelphia came in second with 28,522. Boston was third with 18,320.
| Rank | Place | State | Population |
| 1 | New York | NY | 33,131 |
| 2 | Philadelphia | PA | 28,522 |
| 3 | Boston | MA | 18,320 |
| 4 | Charleston | SC | 16,359 |
| 5 | Baltimore | MD | 13,503 |
| 6 | N. Liberties Township (later part of Philadelphia) | PA | 9,913 |
| 7 | Salem | MA | 7,921 |
| 8 | Newport | RI | 6,716 |
| 9 | Providence | RI | 6,380 |
| 10 | Marblehead | MA | 5,661 |
| 10 | Southwark (later part of Philadelphia) | PA | 5,661 |
| 12 | Gloucester | MA | 5,317 |
| 13 | Newburyport | MA | 4,837 |
| 14 | Portsmouth | NH | 4,720 |
| 15 | Sherburne (present-day Nantucket) | MA | 4,620 |
| 16 | Middleborough | MA | 4,526 |
| 17 | New Haven | CT | 4,487 |
| 18 | Richmond | VA | 3,761 |
| 19 | Albany | NY | 3,498 |
| 20 | Norfolk | VA | 2,959 |
Half the towns on the list are in Massachusetts, clustered right along the coast. Back then, living near the ocean was essential for work and trade.
When the Erie Canal opened in 1825, it suddenly became possible to ship goods from New York to the Great Lakes quickly, without dragging everything overland. The interior suddenly became accessible. Railroads arrived in the 1830s and 1840s and changed everything again. Chicago could now send grain to New York faster than farms just a few hundred miles away could manage by wagon. Pittsburgh’s coal transformed nearby cities, too. Cleveland and Detroit had iron ore close by.
Cities like Chicago or Pittsburgh barely existed in 1790. As for old ports like Salem, Marblehead, and Gloucester—they’re still around, but as quieter towns. Salem has about 44,000 people, Gloucester 30,000, Marblehead around 20,000. They’ve kept their historic character, but their days as economic heavyweights are long gone.
Immigration patterns favored different U.S. cities. New York became a gateway for millions of immigrants from the 1880s to the 1920s, many of whom settled in the city or nearby factory towns. Philadelphia had built up textile mills and machine shops by then. Boston had done something similar. Baltimore switched from exporting tobacco to heavy manufacturing. These cities kept growing because they had jobs.
Then the 20th century happened. Air conditioning changed where people could comfortably live. World War II brought defense contracts to California, Texas, and Florida. The interstate highway system made suburbs possible everywhere. Today’s biggest metro areas, like Los Angeles and Chicago, are mostly newcomers compared to 1790. Only New York, Philadelphia, and Boston remain from the original list.
