The 30 U.S. cities where journalists can drop the state name when referencing them. This map highlights the 30 U.S. cities that can stand alone in AP Style, meaning journalists do not need to include the state name in datelines or many written references. AP Style (Associated Press Style) is a standardized writing guide used across much of journalism, covering rules for dates, titles, numbers, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and geographic references. Under these guidelines, cities like “CHICAGO” or “ATLANTA” can appear without a state abbreviation because they are considered widely recognizable. So instead of writing “CHICAGO, Ill.,” journalists can simply use “CHICAGO.” The selection isn’t based purely on population size. It also reflects national familiarity, frequency in news coverage, and how easily a city can be identified without additional context. That’s why some major cities are excluded, while others like Honolulu, Salt Lake City, and Oklahoma City are included—they are strongly associated with their states and widely understood in national reporting. In AP Style datelines, these approved cities are written in all caps, so a story might begin with “BOSTON –” rather than “BOSTON, Mass. –”.