Wait, These Are Actually Town Names in the Midwest?

The Midwest Has a Lot of Towns With Surprisingly Funny Names

One of the best things about driving around South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa is discovering just how many towns have names that make you do a double take. Some are unusual. Some are difficult to pronounce. And some sound like they were invented after somebody looked around the room and said, "Yep, that'll work."

South Dakota Has Some Good Ones

South Dakota is home to towns like Tea, Brandon, Volga, and Belle Fourche.

Tea is probably the easiest one to remember, but it's also one of those names that can make out-of-staters stop and ask, "Wait... that's actually a town?"

Then there's Belle Fourche, which looks like it should be pronounced one way but is pronounced something completely different. It's a classic Midwest test of whether you've actually been there.

Minnesota Gets Creative Too

Minnesota has its own collection of names that can leave visitors scratching their heads.

There's Climax, Nimrod, and Embarrass, among others.

If you're traveling through the state and see a sign for one of those places, you're probably taking a picture. Not because you're planning to visit, necessarily, but because your friends back home are going to want proof.

Iowa Isn't Missing Out

Iowa has plenty of memorable town names too, including What Cheer, Pella, and Correctionville.

What Cheer might be the ultimate conversation starter. Imagine telling someone you're from What Cheer and watching them wonder whether you're answering their question or giving them the name of your hometown. And yes, it really is a town.

That's Part of What Makes the Midwest Fun

These towns aren't trying to have funny names. Many of them have names rooted in history, Native American languages, European settlers, or the people who founded them. But to someone passing through for the first time, they're simply memorable.

And that's part of the fun of a Midwest road trip. You never know what you'll see next, a giant roadside statue, a tiny town you've never heard of, or a road sign that makes you slam on the brakes just long enough to take a picture.

The Midwest may not have the flashiest destinations in the country, but it certainly knows how to keep a road trip interesting.