Did you know there are at least thirteen cities across the United States named Peru? Here’s the list and why they were named after the Andean country.
It turns out that settlers of the United States of America were inspired by the Andean mountains of Peru when looking for names to found towns and cities. This was the case for Peru, New York (founded in 1795), whose mountain ranges reminded its founders of those in Peru. Cities like Peru, Illinois, and Peru, Indiana were named as such after Peru’s independence.
Cities named Peru in the United States
First, there is Peru, Illinois, which has a population of 10,295. Peru, New York has a population of 6,998. Peru, Indiana has 111,417 inhabitants, and Peru, Ohio has 1,105.
Even smaller is the town of Peru, Kansas, with a population of 139, and Peru, Nebraska with 865 inhabitants.
Then there is Peru in Massachusetts, with a population of 847. Another town named Peru is located in Onslow County, North Carolina, which has a population upward of 186,000.
Finally, there are town named Peru in Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, Iowa, and West Virginia.
Peruvians are the 11th largest Latino population in the United States, though there is no direct correlation between the Peruvian population and the cities named after the country. Nevertheless, there are noteworthy Americans born in towns named Peru, such as singer Cole Porter (Peru, Indiana) and President Barack Obama’s maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham (Peru, Kansas).
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Cover photo: DepositPhotos
