7 U.S. Towns With Patriotic Names

If you look at a map of the United States, it starts to look less like a travel guide and more like a Founding Father’s to-do list. The numbers back this up: the Census Bureau identifies at least 55 incorporated places across the U.S. with patriotic names, led by "Liberty" and a close runner-up, "Independence." And that’s not to mention the many towns named after our many presidents, from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln.

But naming a town is a lot like naming a baby—sometimes the place grows up to match the name, and sometimes the name just makes things complicated. From heated town hall meetings to makeshift flag poles, the stories behind these U.S. towns' patriotic names are rarely as simple as they sound.

1. Independence, Kansas
2. Freedom, Pennsylvania
3. Liberty, Missouri
4. Justice, Illinois
5. Lincoln, Nebraska
6. Libertyville, Illinois
7. Flagstaff, Arizona

Independence, Kansas

You’d assume a town named Independence was named for the Fourth of July, but the real story is much more complex. The land was once Osage territory before founder George A. Brown bought it in 1869 for just $50. He originally called the town Colfax, but that didn't last. A group of settlers from nearby Oswego showed up, built their own cabins, and decided the town needed a new look. They renamed it "Independence"—a nod to their own independent spirit and the hard work they put into building the place from scratch.

Freedom, Pennsylvania

Naming a town after a president is one thing, but naming it as an act of rebellion is another. Originally a steamboat stop on the Ohio River, the area was settled by a group called the Harmony Society. In 1824, these abolitionists set out for Pennsylvania, fleeing rejection from their previous home, Indiana.

To make their stance on human rights crystal clear, they plastered the word "Freedom" on signs all over the region. The name stuck, and it eventually became official on the maps used by steamboat captains. It’s a one-word protest that’s been part of the town’s identity for almost two centuries.

Liberty, Missouri

Liberty isn’t just a name here; it’s the town’s foundation. Settled in 1822, Liberty was named to honor the American ideal of freedom. It grew fast, becoming the second-oldest incorporated community west of the Mississippi.

But the town is just as famous for a more dramatic reason: the local jail is where Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was held for months in 1838. His eventual escape gave the town's name a bit of ironic—and permanent—street cred.

Justice, Illinois

The legend of how this village got its name is the best kind of small-town folklore. As the story goes, a local meeting to choose a village name devolved into a shouting match. Finally, a frustrated resident slammed his fist on the table and bellowed, "Let there be justice!" The room went quiet, the motion passed, and the name was cemented in Cook County history.

Lincoln, Nebraska

You’d think naming a capital after the 16th president was meant as a show of respect, but it was actually a result of failed political tomfoolery. The town was originally called Lancaster when it was laid out in 1856, but that all changed in 1867.

Omaha-based lawmakers tried to kill a bill to move the state capital by proposing the name "Lincoln," betting that anti-Union settlers would hate it enough to vote against it. The gamble backfired; the bill passed, and Nebraska gained a capital named to spite its own residents. It has carried that ironic, historical weight with pride ever since.

Libertyville, Illinois

This Chicago suburb went through a few name changes before “Libertyville” finally stuck. Settled in 1834, it was first called Vardin's Grove, a nod to its earliest settler. By 1836, the townspeople tried to rebrand it as "Independence Grove," but postal authorities shot it down because another town already had dibs on the name.

Local resident Archimedes Wynkoop finally pivoted to "Libertyville." It’s a great reminder that even the most patriotic town names often had to survive a few rounds of government red tape to exist.

Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff didn't get its name from a founder or a political term—it got it from a pole. During a Fourth of July centennial celebration in 1876, a group of Boston travelers felt compelled to fly a flag. With no staff in sight, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The Bostonians hiked to a tall ponderosa pine, trimmed off the branches, and hoisted an American flag to the top. The "flagstaff" became a landmark for everyone else passing through the desert, and the name just stuck.

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