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

One paper per student

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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.

Detroit
Chicago
St. Louis
Atlanta

A.On Lake Michigan, where railroads from the East and the West met
B.Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West
C.Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub
D.Became the center of the car industry in the early 1900s

2.Draw a line from each one to its match.

Seattle
Washington, D.C.
New York City
Pittsburgh

A.Where two rivers join to form the Ohio, near coal and iron for steel
B.Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790
C.A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River
D.A port on Puget Sound that supplied gold seekers heading to Alaska and Canada

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 23 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why These Cities Grew Where They Did

Set 23. Prints on its own sheet.

1.1. Detroit — D (Became the center of the car industry in the early 1900s) 2. Chicago — A (On Lake Michigan, where railroads from the East and the West met) 3. St. Louis — B (Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West) 4. Atlanta — C (Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub)
2.1. Seattle — D (A port on Puget Sound that supplied gold seekers heading to Alaska and Canada) 2. Washington, D.C. — B (Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790) 3. New York City — C (A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River) 4. Pittsburgh — A (Where two rivers join to form the Ohio, near coal and iron for steel)

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