Welcome to Cities 101.
This information has been developed by the National League of Cities to introduce and explain municipal government in the United States.
As you read through these materials, remember that there are many ways that cities are created and considerable variation in their power and authority. This is because each state defines what their cities can and cannot do. If you have specific questions about what a particular state allows, you would need to contact that state's municipal league.
We would like to hear from you about what you have found useful and where you have questions or problems with these materials. Please send us an e-mail with your questions, and tell us who you are and how you will be using the information. Send it to mrs@nlc.org.
City Facts and Statistics
Number of cities and city populations
Number of local governments
Most Populous Cities
30 Most densely populated cities
50 Fastest Growing Metro Areas
Top 25 Fastest Population Losing Cities
Municipalities with a population of 5 or less
Municipalities with the largest and smallest land areas
Form of government and types of election in 30 largest cities
Most common street names
Most common and most unusual community names
Consolidated city-county governments
City Rankings
City school districts
Displaying the American flag at half-mast
Athenian Oath
First Mayor Facts
Cities with Patriotic-Sounding Names
Daytime Versus Nighttime Population
City Charters and Powers
City charters
Charter revisions
Home Rule
Dillon's Rule
Annexation
City Government Structures
Forms of municipal government
The four historic forms of city government
Powers of the mayor
City-county consolidations
Metropolitan councils of government
City Elections and Elected Officials
Local elections
Partisan vs. nonpartisan elections
Number of local elected officials
Elected municipal officials
Election Data for Cities with Populations >300K
Term lengths and term limits
Demographic and political composition of city councils
Compensation and workload for local elected officials
City Finances
Municipal finance and budget process
Revenues
Expenditures
City fiscal conditions