what is the difference between a town and a city?

Answer 1

A city (in the old world at least) is governed by a charter, generally granted by a ruler. A town does not have a charter.

Answer 2

Ok off the top of my head.

Sheer size and land mass utilised by commerce, industry, manufacturing, financial institutions, offices, shops. Urban living areas and estates.The population count if it is over a certain figure can be large enough to be classified as a city.

Not all cities have a Cathedral, some may have a Minster but still no Cathedral. By example York is a City it has a Minster but no Cathedral and within and without of its city walls it does have a stretch of land mass utilitised for the above. Also you can have a a resident Bishop or Monsigneur, or senior head of either of the two main faiths, Roman Catholic or Protestant without a Cathedral but his seat will exist in the nearest large town. For Episcopal reasons Hexham is a large town with an Abbey and not all towns have an Abbey. Religious buildings therefore can not be used to signify the criteria of what makes a city a city?

In days of yore cities were classed as being walled, walled for defensive reasons. However popualtion growth, changes in the urban demography, and industrial development have to a large extent broken down those walls. Look at the way land is used, how the coming of the railways could quarter a city and bring new life to dying towns.

So what then is a town a smaller version of city, in some cases yes but not all. Some towns are little more than a developed village. At times of population growth and industrial development not all of the working classes would be involved with land or manufacturing businesses. Those who had been lucky enough to have some education from the parish church schools, or penny schools. Would become teachers, preachers,, join the forces, go to sea, run shops and sell merchandise. It is from these people at the upper end of the working class social strata that Britain became the Workshop capital of the world, and the land of shopkeepers.

For an interesting development of a town look at Darlington and Hartelpool. Both quaker towns. Take a look at the problems the town has endured with poverty, slum clearance, residential development. Maybe if you have a time a look at the Rowntree reports into 'public health hygiene and sanitation reports' could give a good view of life in a developing town.

Hoping this little dialogue has given you food for thought.

Answer 3

The most obvious answer to this would be size, but it goes well beyond that. A city in one country maybe merely a town in another. There is a criteria for defining a city. I've been told that a city should have a Cathedral, University and a City hall. An area can be called a city if there is several smaller towns that expand into each other (sometimes called a conurbation), such as the City of the Gold Coast, Ausralia. Lisburn and Newry were given city status in 2000.

In short, there is no definite answer!!

Answer 4

In the US, in most places, nothing.

In some places, a town or township is an area that has a defined community and may have a local government but still has to answer to county authority.

In some places, mostly New England and the Atlantic coast, a town is an organized area with a local government i.e. town council and town hall meetings, as opposed to a city, which typically has a mayor and elected representative city council.

Answer 5

A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. Generally, a "town" is thought of as larger than a village but smaller than a "city." The words "city" and "village" came into English from Latin via French. "Town" and "borough" (also "burrow," "burgh," "bury," etc.) are native English and Scottish words.

A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. In most parts of the world, cities are generally substantial and nearly always have an urban core, but in the United States many incorporated areas which have a very modest population, or a suburban or even mostly rural character, are designated as cities. City can also be a synonym for "downtown" or a "city centre".

Answer 6

In the United States, an incorporated city is a legally defined government entity, with powers delegated by the state and county and created and approved by the voters of the city. It can provide local government services to its citizens.

In most places in the U.S. a town, village, community, or neighborhood is simply an unincorporated community with no governmental powers. Usually, county governments provide services to these unincorporated communities. Some states do have official designations of "towns" that include limited powers."

Source(s):
http://geography.about.com/library/faq/b...


A city is an urban area that is differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. In most parts of the world, cities are generally substantial and nearly always have an urban core, but in the United States many incorporated areas which have a very modest population, or a suburban or even mostly rural character, are designated as cities. City can also be a synonym for "downtown" or a "city centre".
A city has a higher physical size,population,importance etc,. as compared to a town.


A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. Generally, a "town" is thought of as larger than a village but smaller than a "city." The words "city" and "village" came into English from Latin via French. "Town" and "borough" (also "burrow," "burgh," "bury," etc.) are native English and Scottish words.

Answer 7

The traditional answer would be a cathedral is what makes a city. However, a year or two back here in the UK I remember there was a competition of sorts and five towns put themselves forward for city status and one was chosen. So it's now a matter of choice.

Answer 8

a town holds at least two churches a city holds a hell of a lot more
plus you only have thousands in the population of a town how many do you get in a city?
millions of people

Answer 9

A town does not have a cathedral. A city usually has at least one Cathedral. It doesn't matter how many inhabitants a town has got, as long as it does not have a cathedral it cannot be classified as a city

Answer 10

Towns are ususally about ten miles away from cities.

It is easy to tell......As you drive out of the city, you first see the fields. Then you see small settlements. It may be a village or a hamlet. If it is bigger than a village, than it has to be a town.....