Mental Floss

Quiz: Match the President to His Hometown in This Fiendishly Tricky Game

JFK and Massachusetts. Abe Lincoln and Illinois. It’s easy to name the state most associated with a president, but can you name his actual birthplace?
ByKat Long|
Hint: No presidents were born in the White House.
Hint: No presidents were born in the White House. | Allan Baxter/The Image Bank/Getty Images (White House); Justin Dodd/Mental Floss (quiz graphic)

The U.S. Census offers a fun fact for American history buffs: One-third of all U.S. presidents were born in just two states, Virginia and Ohio. Many more states count a president among its most distinguished former (or current) residents, but it’s a special honor for a town or city call itself the birthplace of a POTUS. See how well you know your presidential hometowns in the quiz below.

  1. Why Were So Many Presidents From Virginia?
  2. Why Is Ohio Called the “Cradle of Presidents”?

Why Were So Many Presidents From Virginia?

The reasons for Virginia’s crop of presidents is explained by its importance as a colony and then state in the early republic. It was the largest and most prosperous of the original 13 Colonies and was the political and intellectual hub of the South. It’s not surprising that four of the first five presidents—arguably the most consequential administrations in U.S. history—came from the Old Dominion. Another four presidents from later eras were born in the state as well:

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Why Is Ohio Called the “Cradle of Presidents”?

It’s less obvious why Ohio has served as the home state of seven U.S. presidents. One reason may be its geography: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the seven were elected, Ohio was a much more centrally located place in the country because many western territories were not yet states. It may also have something to do with its particular political landscape, since all seven of the presidents were Republicans:

Nineteen other states lay claim as the home state of one or more presidents. You might be able to list them off the top of your head if you have a decent recollection of American political history. But it’s a lot harder to remember the village or town where each president was actually born. Let’s see how far you can get in this surprisingly difficult quiz.

What about the other states that can call a president a native son? New York has produced five, Massachusetts four, and North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont have raised two each. And 13 states have produced a single president:

  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Kentucky
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • South Carolina

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