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Why These Cities Grew Where They Did is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on why major US cities grew where they did, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Geo.6.3-5. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 10 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Why These Cities Grew Where They Did

D2.Geo.6.3-5

NameDate

Draw a line from each city to the reason it grew there.

1.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • Denver
  • Atlanta
  • New York City
  • Chicago
  • A.A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River
  • B.Grew from a gold rush at the foot of the Rocky Mountains
  • C.On Lake Michigan, where railroads from the East and the West met
  • D.Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • Salt Lake City
  • Detroit
  • Washington, D.C.
  • St. Louis
  • A.Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790
  • B.Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West
  • C.Founded in 1847 by Latter-day Saints in a valley near a great salt lake
  • D.Became the center of the car industry in the early 1900s

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why These Cities Grew Where They Did

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Denver — B (Grew from a gold rush at the foot of the Rocky Mountains) 2. Atlanta — D (Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub) 3. New York City — A (A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River) 4. Chicago — C (On Lake Michigan, where railroads from the East and the West met)
  2. 2.1. Salt Lake City — C (Founded in 1847 by Latter-day Saints in a valley near a great salt lake) 2. Detroit — D (Became the center of the car industry in the early 1900s) 3. Washington, D.C. — A (Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790) 4. St. Louis — B (Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West)

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Geo.6.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.