Amazon Narrows Down Second Headquarters List To 20 Possibilities

Ryan Grenoble

And then there were 20.

On Thursday, Amazon released the short list of cities and other localities that are still in the running to host the online retail giant’s second headquarters, which it’s calling HQ2.

Here’s the list, in alphabetical order:

  • Atlanta

  • Austin, Texas

  • Boston

  • Chicago

  • Columbus, Ohio

  • Dallas

  • Denver

  • Indianapolis

  • Los Angeles

  • Miami

  • Montgomery County, Maryland

  • Nashville

  • Newark, New Jersey

  • New York City

  • Northern Virginia

  • Philadelphia

  • Pittsburgh

  • Raleigh, North Carolina

  • Toronto

  • Washington, D.C.

The finalists were chosen from 238 original applicants representing locations across North America. While critics argue that Amazon’s public bidding process amounts to a degrading race in which suitors are forced to one up each other with irresponsibly large financial incentives, the company’s pledge to invest $5 billion and create 50,000 high-paying jobs at HQ2 has kept cities in the hunt.

The frenzied initial application process drove officials to pull out all the stops to catch Amazon’s eye. Kansas City, Missouri, mayor Sly James bought 1,000 items from Amazon (for charity) and left a five-star review for each one along with a plug for his city as the perfect HQ2. (Kansas City did not make the final 20.)

Newark dangled $7 billion in tax breaks in its bid, justifying the eye-popping figure by estimating that HQ2 could generate $9 billion in economic activity. (Newark did make the final 20.)

The HQ2 pitch from Golden, Colorado, included a letter from Gov. John Hickenlooper to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. (Photo: Rick Wilking / Reuters)
The HQ2 pitch from Golden, Colorado, included a letter from Gov. John Hickenlooper to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. (Photo: Rick Wilking / Reuters)

“Thank you to all 238 communities that submitted proposals,” said Holly Sullivan of Amazon Public Policy in a statement. “Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough ― all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity.”

“Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation,” Sullivan added.

The company said it will be reaching out to officials in the 20 cities over the next few months “to dive deeper into their proposals, request additional information, and evaluate the feasibility of a future partnership.”

Amazon said it expects to make a final decision for HQ2 sometime in 2018.

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Anchorage, Alaska

Residents of Anchorage "take very good care of themselves," Witters told HuffPost. The city has the second-highest exercise rate in the nation, according to his research.
Residents of Anchorage "take very good care of themselves," Witters told HuffPost. The city has the second-highest exercise rate in the nation, according to his research.

Barnstable Town, Massachusetts

Oral health is a <a href="https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/SurgeonGeneral/Report/ExecutiveSummary.htm" target="_blank">closely linked to overall wellbeing</a>, and this&nbsp;Cape Cod city&nbsp;ranked third in the nation for how frequently its residents visit the dentist, according to Witters. Many residents also report "feeling active and productive every day," he added.

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut

Witters&nbsp;says&nbsp;this <a href="https://datausa.io/profile/geo/bridgeport-stamford-norwalk-ct-metro-area/" target="_blank">metro area</a>&nbsp;ranks within the top five percent of cities nationwide for&nbsp;residents&nbsp;who say they have "someone in their life who encourages health."

Provo, Utah

This <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/provo-utah-instagram_us_59dbf3fde4b0208970cf2b55">beautiful city</a> has the lowest smoking rate in the nation, according to Witters' research.
This beautiful city has the lowest smoking rate in the nation, according to Witters' research.

San Jose, California

More than in any other metro, residents in San Jose said they had "enough money to do everything they want to do."
More than in any other metro, residents in San Jose said they had "enough money to do everything they want to do."

San Luis Obispo, California

Residents in SLO told Witters that they "eat healthy every day."
Residents in SLO told Witters that they "eat healthy every day."

Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins residents exercise often, and the city ranked&nbsp;second for how "safe and secure" its residents feel.&nbsp;
Fort Collins residents exercise often, and the city ranked second for how "safe and secure" its residents feel. 

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville&nbsp;ranked second&nbsp;overall for&nbsp;percentage of residents who said&nbsp;they've received "recognition for helping to improve their city or area" in the last year.
Charlottesville ranked second overall for percentage of residents who said they've received "recognition for helping to improve their city or area" in the last year.

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California

Residents of this&nbsp;coastal city&nbsp;stay mentally active: They're "the best in the nation at learning new and interesting things daily," Witters&nbsp;said.
Residents of this coastal city stay mentally active: They're "the best in the nation at learning new and interesting things daily," Witters said.

Boulder, Colorado

Residents in Boulder reported exercising more than in any other city, according to Witters.&nbsp;
Residents in Boulder reported exercising more than in any other city, according to Witters. 

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.