Random Weirdest Small Towns In United States (20 items)

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  (#20) Ferndale, CA - The Victorian Village  

  Ferndale, CA, located in between the Redwood forest and the northwestern coast in Humboldt County, is a preservation of Victorian-era architecture. The town has been dubbed a historical landmark and stretches about one square mile. As of 2010, there were just over 1,300 residents living in Ferndale. 

  The town was discovered in 1852 by men traveling to California at the height of the Gold Rush. Since then, the Carpenter-Gothic architecture and overall historic energy of the town has been retained. A visit to Ferndale is like stepping back in time.
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  (#1) Centralia

  • Pennsylvania, USA

  In 1981, there were 1,000 people living in Centralia, PA. By 2010, there were less than a dozen. What happened? Well, there's been a coal mine fire burning beneath the town since 1962. Sinkholes, toxic smoke, gas—the highway itself is hot to the touch. Residents apparently couldn't deal. Although it's been on fire for decades, experts believe that it may burn for another 250 years.

  If, for some bizarre reason, this sounds like a place where you'd like to live, you can't. In 1992, the state of Pennsylvania seized all the property in the town and condemned it. They allowed the then-current residents to stay, but once they're gone, that'll be the end of Centralia.
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  (#16) Maharishi Vedic City, IA – Where All The Homes Look Alike

  A lot of cities have their own set of codes dictating what houses need to look like, but Maharishi Vedic City takes that code just a little bit farther. Originally named Vedic City, the local government there decided it wanted all the houses and city buildings to reflect the Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. It's an ancient system of architecture and design from Hindu yogis meant to protect the residents of said buildings. 

  Originally thought up in 2001 by a group of Maharishi yogis and real estate developers, the town is about 77 square miles. The city banned all pesticides and only sells organic food. About 250 people lived there as of 2010.
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  (#9) The Villages

  • Florida, USA

  In 2015, reports began to materialize about a retirement community in Florida hosting epic levels of STDs. The reports were true. In "Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown," you wouldn't be hard-pressed to find two elderly lovebirds doing it on a golf cart. Seriously, that actually happened.

  The Villages is home to 70,000 residents. There are 34 golf courses and whole heaps of fun things to do. According to the New York Post, the STD rates in this small town are some of the highest in Florida. Resident Roselyn Shelley said, "Whatever you know about 20-year-olds, it's the same with seniors." 
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  (#19) Roswell

  • New Mexico, USA

  It's been called the home of "the world's most famous, most exhaustively investigated, and most thoroughly debunked UFO claim." In 1947, residents of Roswell, NM, saw what appeared to be a UFO crash. The military said it was a conventional weather balloon, but many still believe.

  The town has since become synonymous with UFOs and extraterrestrial conspiracy theories. The good news? Its tourist industry is thriving.
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  (#4) Colma

  • California, USA

  In Colma's two square miles, there are 17 cemeteries. The San Mateo County necropolis has been dubbed the "City of Souls" because it hosts an estimated two million dead people and only 1,200 live ones. Back in the days of William Randolph Hearst and Wyatt Earp—who are actually buried there—they transported bodies from San Francisco to Colma to make room.

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