North Pole: A town in Alaska or just festive vocabulary?
Can you imagine living in a town where it's Christmas all year round? From coincidental names like Garland and Snowflake to over-the-top holiday tributes (like the town that changed its name to a Secret Santa website), cities across the country are more than happy to embrace their wintry names—regardless of season or climate.
Using information from the United States Census Bureau, Stacker found 29 cities and towns across America with names that embody the spirit of Christmas. Some towns take the festivities more seriously than others—think Christmas-themed streets, year-round Yuletide attractions, and huge holiday markets—while others reflect on the story behind the season. Let's take a virtual sleigh ride across America as we learn about these festively named locations and the different ways they celebrate.
North Pole, Alaska
- Founded: 1953
Along the Tanana River lies North Pole, Alaska, a city named by a local real estate development company in the hopes of attracting holiday business. Today, North Pole features year-round Christmas decorations, yuletide-themed street names (Santa Claus Lane, for example), a Santa-inspired house, candy cane street lights, and an annual Winter Festival.
Continue reading to learn about other cities and towns named after Christmas in your neck of the woods, or read the national story here.
Idaho
- Founded: 1894
This unincorporated community made headlines back in 2005 when it changed its name to SecretSanta.com for a year in return for a large sum of money from that website. Santa is home to yet another post office that's particularly popular during the holiday season among those wanting its festive postmark to adorn their envelopes.
Oregon
- Founded: 1963
Christmas Valley is a small community in the middle of Oregon named after nearby Christmas Lake. Although the town is small in size, their annual Light Parade is big on Christmas spirit. The parade features holiday floats, caroling, and treats like cookies and hot beverages.
