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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 25 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
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Houston
  • A.Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790
  • B.Grew with oil and a ship channel to the Gulf of Mexico
  • C.Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub
  • D.Grew from a gold rush at the foot of the Rocky Mountains
2.Draw a line from each one to its match.
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • St. Louis
  • San Francisco
  • A.A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River
  • B.A bay harbor that boomed during the California Gold Rush
  • C.Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West
  • D.Near the mouth of the Mississippi, where river trade met the Gulf

LessonPrint · D2.Geo.6.3-5 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Why These Cities Grew Where They Did

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Denver — D (Grew from a gold rush at the foot of the Rocky Mountains) 2. Atlanta — C (Began as the end point of a railroad line and grew as a rail hub) 3. Washington, D.C. — A (Chosen as the national capital, on the Potomac River, in 1790) 4. Houston — B (Grew with oil and a ship channel to the Gulf of Mexico)
  2. 2.1. New Orleans — D (Near the mouth of the Mississippi, where river trade met the Gulf) 2. New York City — A (A deep, sheltered harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River) 3. St. Louis — C (Near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, a gateway to the West) 4. San Francisco — B (A bay harbor that boomed during the California Gold Rush)

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