What Pennsylvania Town Has The Shortest Name?

Short and Sweet: The Story of Espy, Pennsylvania's Town with the Shortest Name

With just four letters, the census-designated place of Espy holds the distinction of having one of the shortest, if not the shortest, town names in Pennsylvania.

• Location: Espy is located along the Susquehanna River in Columbia County, just south of the larger town of Bloomsburg.
• History and Naming: The town was laid out in 1775 by Colonel Josiah Espy, a local miller and landowner. It was named in honor of his father, Josiah Espy, a prominent early settler in the region. The community grew around its strategic location on the river and the Pennsylvania Canal in the 19th century.
• Vibe: Today, Espy is a quiet, primarily residential community that retains much of its historic character. It serves as a peaceful neighbor to the bustling university town of Bloomsburg.

Other Short-Named Contenders:

While Espy is often cited for its brevity, other Pennsylvania communities also have notably short names, such as:

• Orr (a place in Lancaster County)
• Hyner (Clinton County)
• Urey (Clearfield County)

However, as a well-established and historically significant census-designated place, Espy is the most common answer to this fun trivia question.

While it may be small in both size and name, Espy holds a unique place in Pennsylvania's geography. This four-letter town in Columbia County, named for its founding family, stands in charming contrast to the longer, more complex names found throughout the Commonwealth, proving that a place doesn't need a long name to have a long and fascinating history.

Sources:

• Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau
• The Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania
• U.S. Census Bureau - Gazetteer Files
• Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC)
• Local historical records for Columbia County