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Typically, a town is defined as an area larger than a village but smaller than a city, boasting its own governance, distinct identity, and clear boundaries. These areas often feature bustling marketplaces and a dispersed population. Yet, some towns stand out for their extraordinary characteristics, such as those designed to mimic other locations or constructed but left uninhabited. There are towns with just a single inhabitant, while others have entire populations living under one roof.
10. The Villages, Florida
The Villages, a Florida-based town designed exclusively for retirees, spans an area larger than Manhattan and is home to over 100,000 residents, most of whom rely on golf carts for transportation. This town holds the Guinness World Record for the longest golf cart parade, featuring 3,321 carts. However, it’s not without its controversies. Children are prohibited, and scandals abound, from elderly couples caught in intimate moments in their carts to men battling over women. A thriving black market for Viagra exists, with pills costing around $12 each.
With a population ratio of 10 women to every man, the town has experienced a significant surge in sexually transmitted diseases. In 2006, a gynecologist reported higher rates of herpes and human papillomavirus here than in Miami. Residents are also known for driving golf carts under the influence, using illegal drugs, and engaging in bar fights.
9. Busingen Am Hochrhein, Germany
Busingen am Hochrhein is a unique German town situated within Switzerland. It is cut off from Germany by a slender 700-meter (765-yard) strip of land, making it feel more Swiss than German. The town benefits from public services provided by both nations, featuring dual postal codes (8238 Busingen for Switzerland and 78266 Busingen for Germany) and two telephone codes (+49 7734 for Germany and +41 52 for Switzerland).
During emergencies, either Swiss or German police can respond, though the Swiss authorities typically arrive faster. Residents of Busingen are permitted to work and own property in Switzerland without needing Swiss citizenship. Additionally, German citizens residing in the town for over a decade gain a special status akin to Swiss citizenship. The local football team, FC Busingen, competes in the Swiss football league.
However, the town’s history is far from ordinary. In the 14th century, it was under Austrian rule. After the Lord of Busingen was murdered by residents of a nearby Swiss town, Austria vowed never to cede the town to Switzerland. It was later transferred to a neighboring German town and ultimately claimed by Germany. In 1919, 96% of the population voted to join Switzerland, but the Swiss refused to offer compensation, leading Germany to block the move.
8. Whittier, Alaska
Nearly all of Whittier, Alaska’s 200-plus residents live in a single 14-story structure known as Begich Towers. The remaining few reside in vehicles, boats, or another similar building. Constructed in 1956 as an army barracks, Begich Towers now functions as a self-contained town, housing a police station, post office, store, church, video rental shop, playground, and health center—all within the building.
Whittier is accessible only by sea or through a 4-kilometer (2.6 mi) one-lane tunnel with gates that open twice hourly for traffic. The tunnel shuts at night and reopens the following day. Before 2001, vehicles couldn’t use the tunnel, and the sole access was a 100-kilometer (60 mi) train ride, which operated just a few times weekly. Summers bring nearly 22 hours of daylight, while winters can see snowfall exceeding 6.35 meters (250 in).
7. Colma, California
Colma, California, is a town where the dead outnumber the living, with 1,500 residents and over 1.5 million deceased. Its origins date back to the 1849 Gold Rush, which drew hundreds of thousands to nearby San Francisco, bringing diseases and death. By the 1880s, the town’s 26 cemeteries were nearly full, prompting cemetery owners to establish new burial grounds in southern Colma due to its accessibility.
In March 1900, San Francisco banned new burials, citing the land’s high value for purposes other than cemeteries. By January 1914, all bodies in San Francisco cemeteries were ordered to be relocated. Officials claimed cemeteries spread disease, but operators suspected rising real estate costs were the true motive. The bodies were moved to Colma, transforming it into a town dominated by graveyards. Today, over 73 percent of Colma’s land is reserved for cemeteries.
6. Monowi, Nebraska
Monowi, established by Czech immigrants in northeast Nebraska, is home to just one resident: 77-year-old Elsie Eller. As the smallest jurisdiction in the US by population, Elsie manages the town’s sole tavern and a library housing 5,000 books from her late husband, Rudy. She also holds the roles of mayor, clerk, treasurer, and council leader. Once home to 150 residents in the 1930s, Monowi’s population dwindled to just Elsie and Rudy by 2000. After Rudy’s passing in 2004, Elsie became the town’s only inhabitant. She pays annual taxes to maintain four streetlights and basic amenities. Abandoned buildings, some overgrown with grass and others collapsed, dot the landscape.
5. Ordos, China
Ordos, located in Inner Mongolia, China, is often referred to as the country’s largest ghost town. Designed to house over a million people, only 2 percent of its space was ever occupied, leaving the rest abandoned and decaying. The town’s origins trace back over two decades to Mongolia’s coal rush. Investors constructed apartments hoping to rent them out, but demand fell short, leading many to withdraw or go bankrupt before completion.
Today, the streets are lined with unfinished homes, and even completed buildings remain largely vacant due to their steep prices. Many current residents are also relocating elsewhere. In just five years, the price per square foot plummeted from $1,100 to $470. To attract newcomers, investors have slashed prices. Recent graduates who move to the town to launch businesses are offered office space, internet access, and various utilities free of charge.
4. Longyearbyen, Norway
Longyearbyen, located in Spitsbergen, Norway, is the world’s northernmost city. It boasts the planet’s northernmost church, ATM, museum, post office, airport, and university. In Longyearbyen, dying is prohibited. Those who fall seriously ill or are near death are swiftly transported by plane or ship to other parts of Norway. If someone dies unexpectedly, they are not buried there.
Dying is prohibited in Longyearbyen because the extreme cold prevents bodies in the town’s cemetery from decomposing. Scientists recently extracted tissue from a man who died decades ago and found traces of a deadly virus responsible for a 1917 epidemic. In addition to the ban on dying, residents are permitted to carry high-powered rifles due to the presence of over 3,000 polar bears. Cats are also banned to protect the local bird population.
3. Hallstat, China
The original Hallstat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Austria, while the Chinese version is a replica town constructed in Guangdong province, China. Built at a cost of $940 million, the town mirrors the real Hallstat, complete with roads, a church tower, and wooden houses. Funded by a Chinese millionaire, the project sparked controversy among residents of the Austrian Hallstat, who were unaware of its existence.
Residents of Austria’s Hallstat, including the mayor, later visited the Chinese replica. While they expressed pride in their town being replicated (since they couldn’t prevent it), they were displeased with the approach taken. They believed the builders should have consulted the original property owners and sought permission before copying their structures. The company behind the project, Minmetals, had sent workers to Austria’s Hallstat to photograph locations for replication.
2. Marloth Park, South Africa
Marloth Park is situated near Kruger National Park, home to wildlife such as lions, hippos, and crocodiles. What sets the town apart is that, despite the proximity of these dangerous animals, residents are prohibited from building fences around their homes. The only barrier separating the town from the park is a 1.2-meter (4 ft) fence, designed more to keep people out of the park than to contain the animals.
Wild animals roaming the town are a common sight. Baboons often enter homes through windows to raid refrigerators, while giraffes and elephants frequently block roads. Lion attacks on humans are also not rare. One notable incident involved a lion killing and eating a fleeing burglar, leaving only his head and a foot behind. Despite such dangers, most residents support keeping the lions. Some claim the burglar was shot while escaping, and lions consumed his body. Others argue the lions act as a deterrent to rising burglary rates.
Cyclists are frequent targets of attacks, highlighting racial tensions in the town. Most residents are white and own cars, while cyclists are predominantly black workers commuting to the area. One cyclist narrowly escaped an ambush by four lions, abandoning his bike to flee. Locals have dubbed nighttime cyclists “meals on wheels.”
1. Asymmetric Warfare Training Center (AWTC), Virginia
The Asymmetric Warfare Training Center (AWTC) in Virginia is a simulated town constructed by the US Army for training purposes. It features a school, church, mosque, train station, and a five-story embassy, likely the tallest structure in Caroline County. The town also includes a gas station, football field, bank, subway, and bridge. The school mimics those in Iraq and Afghanistan, while the subway replicates Washington, D.C.’s system, complete with identical train logos. Built at a cost of $90.1 million, it is managed by the US Army Asymmetric Warfare Group.
Yodaville, a replica town constructed by the US Air Force in the Arizona desert, mirrors the appearance of settlements found in Iraq and Afghanistan. This uninhabited site serves as a training ground for Air Force pilots, helping them master the skills required for executing precise bombing runs.
