US Cities Trivia - New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago

Road trip! It’s time to see the USA’s three largest cities. New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I’ll have other trios of cities, both in the US and around the world in future episodes.

We have more US trivia, geography trivia, and history trivia throughout the show, so don’t miss out on that. Subscribe to the podcast and you’ll never miss a thing.

Book of the Week

Accessible Vacations: An Insider’s Guide to 12 Us Cities

Having vision and hearing loss, or difficulties learning, remembering or getting around needn’t stop us enjoying vacations to cultural places, either in our local cities or someone else’s.

Accessible Vacations is a problem-solving guide book on the most accessible museums, monuments and theaters for vacation visits or day-trips in twelve of the US’s most visited cities. It describes accessible outings, activities, courses and exhibitions you may want to try out, and places to go and see great shows or movies using a simple five-step plan.

Accessible Vacations is not exhaustive and won’t sell you a hotel room or flight. It also won’t tell you about diners in the local area, or the best souvenirs. It’s written in the hope of making your life easier and more interesting in your leisure time, or to help in getting a cultural education. It also gives you a realistic, accessible picture of what’s available in the US when you choose your destinations.

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Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

Road trip! It’s time to see the USA’s three largest cities. New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I’ll have other trios of cities, both in the US and around the world in future episodes.

If you need more geography trivia (or any other type of trivia), visit DorkyGeekyNerdy.com. If you’re not yet subscribed, please do so. It helps Spotify and YouTube know you like us and you’ll never miss an episode.

This is episode 376 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. I’m your bus driver and host, Brian Rollins.

Let’s hit the road.

The Dorky Round

New York City Trivia

New York City is divided into how many boroughs?
a. Five
In 1886, what gift from France was placed in New York harbor?
a. The Statue of Liberty
Located in Lower Manhattan, what is the largest building the United States?
a. One World Trade Center (Sometimes called Freedom Tower)
In 2025, who was elected mayor of New York City?
a. Zohran Mamdani
When controlled by the Dutch, what was New York City called?
a. New Amsterdam
As of 2026, what is the largest borough by population?
a. Brooklyn with about 2.4 million people.
As of 2026, what is the smallest borough by population?
a. Staten Island with little less than half-a-million people
In the pre-Columbian era, what native group controlled what is now New York City?
a. The Algonquians
The city was named after the Duke of York in 1664 who would later become what king?
a. King James II
In June 1969, what New York City event kicked off the Gay Rights movement?
a. The Stonewall Riots

The Geeky Round

Los Angeles Trivia

Los Angeles will next host the Summer Olympics in what year?
a. In 2028. They will be the third city to host the games three times (London and Paris being the other two)
What Major League Baseball team moved to LA from Brooklyn in 1958?
a. The Dodgers. As of 2026, the team will have spent only half its existence in LA, 68 years.
In 1965, 34 people were killed and over 1,000 were injured during what Los Angeles event?
a. The Watts Riots. Another large-scale riot would break out in LA in 1992.
During the California Gold Rush, LA predominately supplied what food to miners up north?
a. Beef. It got the nickname “Queen of Cow Counties”
In 1969, what LA-based university sent the first ARPANET transmission, effectively inventing the Internet?
a. University of California, Los Angeles or UCLA.
In January 2025, what northwestern LA community was ravaged by wildfires?
a. Pacific Palisades
Of the five major film studios, which is the only one within Los Angeles city limits?
a. Paramount Pictures.
In June 2025, the city had protests and riots following the unwelcome deployment of which federal agency?
a. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE
Many buildings in LA, including City Hall and Griffith Observatory were built in what architectural style?
a. Art Deco
The city of Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by what Viceroyalty?
a. New Spain. The original settlement was a mere 44 people

The Nerdy Round

Chicago Trivia

Chicago is located on the western shore of which Great Lake?
a. Lake Michigan
About four square miles was destroyed and over 300 people were killed during what 1871 event?
a. The Great Chicago Fire
Which Chicago baseball team went without a World Series championship from 1908 to 2016?
a. The Chicago Cubs
What two airports serve the Chicago area?
a. O’Hare and Midway airports
On December 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi conducted the first controlled nuclear reaction where?
a. The University of Chicago. Yes, in the city. It was part of the secret Manhattan Project.
What father and son duo were mayors of Chicago for a combined 43 years?
a. The Daleys, Richard J and Richard M Daley
Located in Chicago, what was the tallest building in the world from 1973 to 1998?
a. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)
What is the name given to the central business district in Chicago?
a. The Loop
Nicknamed “The Bean” what is the large stainless steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor called?
a. Cloud Gate
Chicago has been home to some of the most successful talk shows on television, from Phil Donahue to Jerry Springer. Which extremely popular Chicago-based talk show ran from 1986 to 2011?
a. The Oprah Winfrey Show

Episode Conclusion

And that’s it. Back on the bus to head home (unless you’re already there). Let me know what cities we need to visit in future episodes. If you want more US geography trivia, check out all of Season Four. We hit every US state and couple of territories.

Next week, it’s good old fashioned geeky fun. Here’s a clue:

What comic book team first appeared in September 1963?

Yes, we’ve covered the group in the past, but not three specific characters. I’ll explain more next week. See you back here on Wednesday my friends.

This was the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. If you’d like to help support the show and get extra stuff, consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/dorkygeekynerdy.

This podcast is written, produced, and hosted by Brian Rollins. If you love audiobooks or are looking to have a book turned into an audiobook, contact me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

The theme music is Punchfunk by the band, Punchfunk. Listen to all their music on Spotify.

Thanks for listening.