Go Here and Double the Population: The Tiniest Towns in America

If you really want to get away from it all, you can. These 10 towns with 100 residents or fewer are the smallest ones in America. Here’s where they are and what you’ll find there.

Interior, S.D.
Population: 94

Interior is located in the gorgeous Badlands National Park. (Photo: Andrew Mace/Flickr)

Interior may be small, but thanks to its location in Badlands National Park, it is a relatively hot tourist destination. Adventurers flock to the numerous hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. And at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, a Cold War historic site and a unit of the National Park Service, you can see the facilities that represent the only remaining intact components of a nuclear missile field, including a launch control center and a missile silo/launch facility. At the end of the day, the Wagon Wheel Bar & Grill serves up burgers and booze. There’s even a place to stay in town, the Budget Host Inn.

Monowi, Neb.
Population: 1

No, that’s not a mistake on the Monowi population sign. (Photo: Micheal Peterson/Flickr)

A three-and-a-half-hour drive from Omaha, this village is currently home to a lady named Elise Eiler. The population peaked at 150 during the 1930s, but as people left the area to find work in bigger cities, Elise and her husband stayed behind. After he passed away in 2004, she became the only resident. Not only is she the mayor, but also she runs the local library and restaurant. Pop into Monowi Tavern to grab a $2.50 hamburger and $2 beer, and then head over to Rudy’s Library, located conveniently behind the tavern, to peruse the 5,000 books housed there, as well as Elise’s personal history collection. If you want to spend the night, you’ll have to do it in nearby Crofton, Neb. The Historic Argo Hotel is in a beautifully restored building from 1912 located near Lewis & Clark Lake on the Missouri River, along the scenic Outlaw Trail.

Bonanza, Colo.
Population: 16

Remnants of the mining town (Photo: The Greater Southwestern/Flickr)

Without a single business or post office, the residents here are so far off the grid, they can’t even manage to get a proper address. There’s no cell phone service either. It comes with the territory when you live in a ghost town. Prior to 1937 (when the majority of the place burned down), Bonanza was a pretty hopping mining town, with 40 saloons, 19 mills, four hotels, two schools, and a theater. Now, all that remains is an interesting peek into the past that will whet any history buff’s appetite. To round out the trip, you can camp in the majestic mountains or head an hour away to Moffat, Colo., and visit tourist fave the Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa, where the springs are claimed to have healing powers.

Related: Abandoned Ghost Town Found Right in the Middle of a National Park

Centralia, Pa.
Population: 10

The crumbling surface over a fire that burns beneath the ground in Centralia, Pa. (Photo: Kelly Michals/Flickr)

The reason why this town is so small is the same reason why it has become so famous. At one point, this coal-mining town was home to almost 3,000 people. But in 1962, workers set some trash on fire in an abandoned mine, and the coal accidentally ignited. Though many attempts were made to put out the fire, it’s burned for decades. In 1981, the ground began to crumble, causing the state to condemn the area and remove the residents. A few have stood strong, and they welcome tourists to come see the smoke rising from the ground as the fire continues to burn beneath the surface. It’s an easy day trip from nearby Harrisburg, Allentown, Hershey, or Philadelphia; or you can spend the night just five miles away at Pine Burr Inn in Mount Carmel, Pa.

Freeport, Kan.
Population: 5

This is what Freeport looks like via Google Street View. (Photo: Google Street View)

Founded in 1885, Freeport was the smallest incorporated town to have a U.S. bank — until it closed in 2009, that is. The post office lasted a bit longer, but now there’s not much left, and the population has dwindled to just a handful of holdouts. But for anyone passing through (it’s two and a half hours from Oklahoma City, Okla., and a little over an hour from Wichita, Kan.), it’s worth a stop, if only for the novelty.

Lost Springs, Wyo.
Population: 4

The Lost Springs population sign forgot three residents. (Photo: Tommaso Galli/Flickr)

The Lost Springs road sign reads “Pop 1,” but the residents of Lost Springs maintain that there are four and there has always been more than one. The headstrong nature of the bunch could explain why the .09-square-mile town actually has a few businesses — a post office, a general store, an antiques shop, and even a local saloon, called Lost Bar. Visitors can see remnants of buildings, including an outhouse and an old jail that popped up when the town was more popular over 100 years ago. It’s only an hour from Casper, Wyo., and a one-of-a-kind stop when you’re exploring the Great Plains.

Gross, Neb.
Population: 2

The sign is almost as small as the population. (Photo: Andrew Filer/Flickr)

This village seems to have been cursed — beginning all the way back in 1893. The railroad was originally supposed to pass right through Gross, and that plan created an economic boom in the area: 600 residents moved in, and churches, factories, and many other businesses were built by 1904. But the railroad bypassed the town after all, and most people moved away. A few years later, a massive fire destroyed most of the remaining buildings, and now, more than 100 years later, only two residents are left: Mike and Mary Finnegan. The couple didn’t let a little bad luck and no neighbors get in their way when they opened a hotel. (It’s a good way to find company when you live in a town of two.) Guests can enjoy the Nebrask Inn and the in-house restaurant, which has popular daily specials. The spot has become such a hit that its Facebook page boasts over 1,000 likes. That’s 500 times the population! If you’re visiting Sioux Falls, S.D., this could be a unique day trip or overnight getaway.

Related: 5 Charming Italian Towns You Never Heard Of

Tortilla Flat, Ariz.
Population: 6

At least they have a cute mailbox in Tortilla Flat. (Photo: Johnida Dockens/Flickr)

Amazingly, the six residents of this unincorporated community have a post office and a voting precinct. On top of that, since Tortilla Flat is home to the last surviving stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail, there’s a fairly steady stream of visitors. Tourists staying an hour away in Phoenix can check out the Old West-looking town by moseying on down to the Superstition Restaurant & Saloon, where real saddles serve as bar stools and the wallpaper is made from real dollar bills left by visitors from all over the world. After grabbing a bite and a beer, you can try some of the famous prickly pear gelato from the Country Store & Ice Cream Shop. And to truly get a taste of the Old West, be sure to catch an old-fashioned gunfight re-enactment.

Weeki Wachee, Fla.
Population: 12

Catch the Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show. (Photo: Richard Elzey/Flickr)

This city may be known for its small population, but the fact that most of the residents are mermaids is what makes it really famous. Yes, it’s home to the deepest naturally formed spring in the U.S. In 1948, former U.S. Navy SEAL trainer Newton Perry decided to take the unique natural formation and turn it into a mermaid theater. He trained young women to swim and dance underwater (in mermaid costumes, of course) to put on shows for tourists. The attraction became so popular that even Elvis Presley visited in the 1960s. Just 45 minutes north of Tampa, Weeki Wachee, with its mermaid shows, is a hot spot to this day.

Buford, Wyo.
Population: 1

Welcome to Buford — where your visit just doubled the population. (Photo: Eszter Hargittai/Flickr)

Starting out as a military outpost in the mid-1800s, Buford was once home to 2,000 people. But the population dwindled down to one over the years, leaving Don Sammons as the sole resident, once his wife died and his son moved away. After many years running the town’s gas station and convenience store, Sammons decided in 2012 to move, and he sold the place via an auction site for $900,000. The Vietnamese buyer, Phạm Đình Nguyên, has since renamed the town “PhinDeli Town Buford” and uses the small size of the population as a tourist attraction for people on their way to Yellowstone National Park, situated seven hours northwest of the town. The new owner also announced plans to start selling PhinDeli-brand coffee from the Buford Trading Post.

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