14 U.S. Towns With Christmassy Names

Some of us ease into the holiday season each fall, but there are others who live in it year-round—purely because they reside in a town or city with a name reminiscent of Christmas. From North Pole to Bethlehem to Eggnog, here are 14 places in the United States with names that will remind you of the winter holidays.

1. North Pole, Alaska
2. Rudolph, Wisconsin 
3. Noel, Missouri
4. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
5. Christmas Cove, Maine
6. Christmas, Florida
7. Mistletoe, Kentucky
8. Holly, Michigan
9. Eggnog, Utah
10. Snowflake, Arizona
11. Santa Claus, Indiana
12. Winter Park, Florida
13. Wintergreen, Virginia 
14. Evergreen, Alabama 

North Pole, Alaska

The story of this Alaskan town’s name starts in the 1950s, when The Dahl and Gaske Development Company was developing land around the Richardson Highway. The town was renamed from Davis to North Pole to attract toy manufacturers.

While it never became a toy company mecca, North Pole has flourished as a Santa-themed tourist destination. The Santa Claus House gift shop, with its very own reindeer herd and a 50-foot-tall Santa statue, sees 100,000 visitors annually. The Christmas spirit extends to the entire town, which stays decorated throughout the year and contains roads like Kris Kringle Drive and Mistletoe Lane. 

This isn’t the only North Pole in the United States—there’s also a hamlet of the same name in the Adirondacks with its very own Santa’s Workshop attraction.

Rudolph, Wisconsin 

Rudolph, a small town in Wisconsin with under 500 residents, got its name from Rudolph Hecox, the first white male child born in the region. The town was founded in 1856—meaning it pre-dates Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, who was created in the 1930s. But the local post office has since embraced the commonality. In 1945, the postmaster started the tradition of a special Rudolph postmark; to this day, thousands of people from around the world send mail to the Rudolph post office during the holiday season so they can get their letters returned with a themed cancellation stamp. There’s a new stamp each year selected via a design contest for local children. 

Noel, Missouri

Like Rudolph, Noel is known for a postmark that it stamps on thousands of letters during the holidays. The tradition began in 1932; volunteers keep up with demand today. 

What many letter writers may not know is that the town’s name isn’t even pronounced like the noël associated with the holidays. The town’s moniker comes from Bridges Noel, whose last name sounds like “knoll.” In the 1930s, postmaster Ed Rousselot worked to build the connection between the town and Christmas, including the postmark strategy. The town also benefited from shoutouts by radio broadcaster Kate Smith. She dedicated songs to Noel, which she described as “the Christmas City.” Residents of Noel would mail her fruitcakes to show their gratitude. 

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

This Bethlehem was indeed named after the town where Jesus was born: German Morovians chose the name on Christmas Eve in 1741, and today, around 75,000 people live in the eastern Pennsylvania town, which boasts the nickname “Christmas City.” During the holiday season, visitors can take the Christmas City Stroll, which walks through 18th-century Moravian life. Another tradition is the annual “Live Advent Calendar.” Every night from December 1 through 23, someone is chosen to knock on the door of the historic Goundie House, where a local business gives all attendees a surprise treat. 

Christmas Cove, Maine

It has long been rumored that Christmas Cove was named by famous explorer John Smith, who was anchored there on Christmas Day in 1614. But it turns out that’s impossible—he was home in England at that time. The name’s origins remain a mystery, and the town’s association with the holidays is tentative, as Christmas Cove tends to get the most visitors during summer, the sailing season.

Christmas, Florida

Michigan also has a Christmas, a town of 400 residents with a 35-foot tall Santa Claus sign. But Christmas, Florida, is a bit larger, with around 2000 people. Its name dates back to 1837 when Seminole War soldiers built a fort in the area on the holiday. Now, the town leaves up a decorated Christmas tree year-round. They also have themed street names, like Comet Street, Blitzen Avenue, and Cupid Street. Like a few of the towns on this list, post office traffic significantly ramps up during the holidays with letters to Santa; it’s also a popular spot for people who want a Christmas postmark on their holiday cards. 

Mistletoe, Kentucky

Mistletoe also had a famous cancellation stamp before its post office closed in January 2004. In 1994, the Sun Herald reported that the influx of Christmas mail for the postmark was keeping the post office operational. The community, which contains just a handful of families, was named after the local mistletoe plant. 

Holly, Michigan

Like mistletoe, holly is another symbol of the winter holiday season. It’s believed that this town in Michigan, with a population of under 6000, was named after the plant. 

But the town’s true holiday claim to fame is its Charles Dickens Festival. The event has existed for 50 years, making it the longest-running festival to honor the author in the U.S. Every year, the town transforms into 19th-century London and offers classic winter activities like sledding, train rides, and opportunities to meet Santa. 

Eggnog, Utah

This tiny incorporated community in Utah was established in 1979. According to one story, Eggnog got its name because residents would share the drink with ranchers; another version claims that the Eggnog Springs has an eggnog-y taste. As of the early 1990s, Eggnog had just four residents. One newspaper article described the hamlet as “relative nothingness,” so there’s not much in the way of Christmas tourism. An interesting piece of Eggnog trivia is that the Bureau of Land Management burned down a local historic cabin during Ladybird Johnson’s campaign to beautify America. 

Snowflake, Arizona

Many don’t consider it Christmas unless there’s snow on the ground, but this town’s name actually has little to do with the ice crystals that fall from the sky. The settlement was founded in 1878 by two Mormon pioneers, Erastus Snow and William J. Flake. They combined their last names to get Snowflake. (Flake ended up with a particularly unique legacy, which included spending six months in prison for polygamy and eventually getting inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.) Today, Snowflake is a town of around 5500 residents. And does it indeed see some snowflakes, though it typically receives less than 10 inches of snow per year.

Santa Claus, Indiana

There are a few towns called Santa Claus, including one in Georgia named by a farmer trying to drum up business at his pecan stand and the now-ghost-town in Arizona where old Hollywood star Jane Russell once threw a dinner party. As for Indiana’s Santa Claus, the name’s origins are unknown, but the town maximally embraces its holiday-themed moniker.

There are businesses like Holiday Foods & Grocery, Santa Claus Car Care, and Frosty’s Fun Center. The local theme park Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, which sees over a million visitors every year, has been operating since 1946. Though it started as Christmas-only, the park now embraces all holidays, exemplified by Thanksgiving-themed “Good Gravy!” roller coaster that opened in 2024

Winter Park, Florida

Winter Park got its name in the late 19th century after previously going by Lakeview and Osceola. At the time, entrepreneurs Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman were developing the area to be a winter destination for wealthy northerners searching for relaxation and warmer weather. The businessmen chose the name Winter Park to entice those tourists.

The town currently has a population of 30,000. It’s known as the home of Rollins College and a place where multiple presidents have visited, including Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, and Benjamin Harrison. Winter Park also made the news in 1981 when a sinkhole opened up, swallowing a car dealership, five cars, and a swimming pool. The sinkhole ended up 350 feet wide and 75 feet deep, and it has since been converted into a pond. 

Wintergreen, Virginia 

The resort town of Wintergreen, Virginia, has a population of around 450 residents. The nearby Wintergreen Resort, which took its name from the town, is a year-round mountain destination for tourists. The town was called Slaughter in the early 1880s in honor of the last name of the man who established the region’s first post office. Slaughter became Wintergreen in 1902, a title borrowed from a nearby farm’s name. 

Evergreen, Alabama 

Evergreen has some distinctly non-holiday claims to fame. It’s known as the Collard Green Capital of Alabama and the Big Foot Capital of Alabama. The town was settled in 1818 and eventually named Evergreen by a reverend who was inspired by the local foliage. Today, the town has a population of around 3300. And in addition to its famous yearly Collard Green Festival, the town is apparently the location of numerous Big Foot sightings. 

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