<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town</span>

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Town

<p>A <b>town</b> is a <a href="/en/Human_settlement" title="Human settlement" class="wl">human settlement</a>. Towns are generally larger than <a href="/en/Village" title="Village" class="wl">villages</a> and smaller than <a href="/en/City" title="City" class="wl">cities</a>, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.</p>

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<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt5">Type of human settlement</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1096954695/mw-parser-output/.tmulti" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright" about="#mwt22"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:342px;max-width:342px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:340px;max-width:340px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:253px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:St_Mary's_Church,_Castle_Street_1.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:St_Mary's_Church,_Castle_Street_1.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="Castle Street in the town venter of Reading" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Castle_Street_1.jpg/338px-St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Castle_Street_1.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" data-file-type="bitmap" height="254" width="338" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Castle_Street_1.jpg/507px-St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Castle_Street_1.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Castle_Street_1.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:158px;max-width:158px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:103px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Porvoo_in_January.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Porvoo_in_January.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="Old Town of Porvoo in January" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Porvoo_in_January.jpg/156px-Porvoo_in_January.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="5760" data-file-height="3840" data-file-type="bitmap" height="104" width="156" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Porvoo_in_January.jpg/234px-Porvoo_in_January.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Porvoo_in_January.jpg/312px-Porvoo_in_January.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:180px;max-width:180px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:103px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="Lemgo Town Hall at the market square" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg/178px-Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="3887" data-file-height="2260" data-file-type="bitmap" height="103" width="178" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg/267px-Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg/356px-Lemgo_-_Marktplatz_mit_Rathaus.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:106px;max-width:106px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:78px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Luftbild_Davos2.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Luftbild_Davos2.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The alpine town of Davos in the Swiss Alps" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Luftbild_Davos2.jpg/104px-Luftbild_Davos2.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" data-file-type="bitmap" height="78" width="104" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Luftbild_Davos2.jpg/156px-Luftbild_Davos2.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Luftbild_Davos2.jpg/208px-Luftbild_Davos2.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:106px;max-width:106px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:78px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG"><img loading="lazy"alt="View from tower of St. Michal Church in Skalica" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG/104px-View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" data-file-type="bitmap" height="78" width="104" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG/156px-View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG/208px-View_from_tower_of_church_st_michal_during_skalica_days.JPG 2x"></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:123px;max-width:123px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:78px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Mecca1880s.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Mecca1880s.jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The town of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula, before its inflation, in 1880" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Mecca1880s.jpg/121px-Mecca1880s.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="897" data-file-height="580" data-file-type="bitmap" height="78" width="121" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Mecca1880s.jpg/182px-Mecca1880s.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Mecca1880s.jpg/242px-Mecca1880s.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:176px;max-width:176px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:106px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Fatima_0549_(19531851070).jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Fatima_0549_(19531851070).jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The Marian town of Fátima" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg/174px-Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="1588" data-file-height="971" data-file-type="bitmap" height="106" width="174" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg/261px-Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg/348px-Fatima_0549_%2819531851070%29.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:162px;max-width:162px"><div class="thumbimage" style="height:106px;overflow:hidden"><span><a href="/en/File:Viljandi,_Estonia_(7182836211).jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Viljandi,_Estonia_(7182836211).jpg"><img loading="lazy"alt="The center of the inland town of Viljandi" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg/160px-Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="3888" data-file-height="2592" data-file-type="bitmap" height="107" width="160" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg/240px-Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg/320px-Viljandi%2C_Estonia_%287182836211%29.jpg 2x"></a></span></div></div></div><div class="trow" style="display:flex"><div class="thumbcaption"><i>Left to right, from top:</i> <a href="/en/Reading,_Berkshire" title="Reading, Berkshire" class="wl">Reading</a> in England, <a href="/en/Porvoo" title="Porvoo" class="wl">Porvoo</a> in Finland, <a href="/en/Lemgo" title="Lemgo" class="wl">Lemgo</a> in Germany, <a href="/en/Davos" title="Davos" class="wl">Davos</a> in Switzerland, <a href="/en/Skalica" title="Skalica" class="wl">Skalica</a> in Slovakia, <a href="/en/Mecca" title="Mecca" class="wl">Mecca</a> in Saudi Arabia, <a href="/en/Fátima,_Portugal" title="Fátima, Portugal" class="wl">Fátima</a>, Portugal, <a href="/en/Viljandi" title="Viljandi" class="wl">Viljandi</a> in Estonia</div></div></div></div>


A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. 