People driving from Lansing to Ann Arbor can take a slight detour and "go through Hell." And Hell lives up to its name, playfully. Founded in Michigan in the 1830s (legend has it that one of the settlers said, "Call it Hell, for all I care!"), this tourist hotspot leans into the joke.

You can "get married in Hell," mail postcards from the Hell Post Office, or grab a souvenir from the Hell Hole Diner. The town even freezes over in winter—because, of course, Hell can freeze over.

Image: Peter Leong

Why’s name comes from a nearby Y-shaped intersection, but its motto takes full advantage of the pun.

Originally called "Y," this Arizona town had to add an "H" to comply with the state’s three-letter minimum for place names. Today, Why (population: around 160) is a desert oddity whose motto says it all: Because. That’s the only explanation it’s willing to give.

Image: Danika Perkinson

That’s the nickname of Tombstone, Arizona. This Wild West legend earned its motto after surviving fires, shootouts, and near abandonment. Founded in 1879 as a silver boomtown, Tombstone soon became infamous for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

When the mines dried up, the town rebranded itself as a living museum of cowboy lore. Today, actors reenact gunfights daily, and the Bird Cage Theatre—once called "the wickedest nightspot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast"—still stands.

Image: Andreas Rasmussen

Few mottos are as haunting as that of Centralia, Pennsylvania. In 1962, a coal mine fire ignited beneath the town and has burned ever since, turning streets into smoke-filled cracks and forcing nearly everyone to leave.

Today, fewer than ten residents remain in this near-ghost town, where graffiti-covered Route 61—the "Graffiti Highway"—attracts urban explorers. It’s said that the underground fire could continue burning for another 250 years.

Image: Colin Lloyd

Don’t be fooled by the name of Boring, Oregon—its motto is a cheeky nod to its reputation, but the town was actually named after 19th-century settler William Boring.

Every year, the town hosts the "Boring Fest" and sells "Boring, OR" merch. Ironically, the surroundings of Boring are anything but dull: you’ll find stunning trails and ski resorts to explore near Mt. Hood!

Image: ALEKSEY KUPRIKOV

Coward, South Carolina, would like everyone to know they’re no scaredy-cats. Named after a railroad official, the town has embraced its ironic potential with a motto that flips the script.

Located along the "Old Stage Coach Road," Coward is now a quiet pit stop with a sense of humor. No cowards here—just a town that knows how to laugh at itself.

Image: Jon Tyson

In the heart of Amish Country, Intercourse, Pennsylvania, gets its eyebrow-raising name from an old term for "crossroads." The town leans into the jokes (yes, they sell T-shirts) but keeps it wholesome with a motto that highlights its quiet charm.

Visitors come for the buggy rides, homemade jam, and, of course, the chance to say they’ve been to Intercourse.

Image: Sterling Lanier

A fitting motto for Surprise, Nebraska. Founded in the 1880s, the town’s origin story has been lost to time, and with a population of around 40, it’s a surprise it’s still on the map at all. That’s exactly what the motto jokes about.

Image: Jason Leung

Happy, Texas, boasts one of the most wholesome town names—and a matching motto. This Panhandle town of 600 lives up to its name with a smiley-face water tower and an annual "Happy, Texas Day" celebration.

Founded in the 1890s, Happy got its name from cowboys who found water here after a drought.

Image: Yuyang Liu

How do you pronounce Zzyzx, a town in California? It’s "Zye-zix." This Mojave Desert spot was once a health spa run by a self-proclaimed "doctor" who invented the name to be the last word in the dictionary.

Today, it’s a research center—and yes, it remains the last alphabetical town in the US, just as intended.

Image: vamshi vanaparthi

That’s funny! But irony alert: Waterproof, Louisiana, is ironically prone to flooding. Named after a local plantation owner’s boast that his land was "waterproof," the town’s motto leans into the joke. After multiple floods, the residents have learned to take it in stride.

Image: Aleksandra Sapozhnikova

Finally, we have the quaint town of Accident, located in Maryland. Founded in 1774 after a land surveyor "accidentally" marked the wrong spot, Accident embraces its quirky origin story.

Today, it’s a charming Appalachian town, best known for its humorous name.

Image: Sarah Kilian