What are commas in names of places?
Commas in names of places are used to separate different parts of a location, such as a city and a state or a town and a country.
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Dallas, Texas
- Paris, France
The comma helps the reader understand where one part of the place name ends and the next part begins.
When do we use commas in place names?
Use a comma when a place name includes more than one part, such as a city and a state, or a city and a country.
- We live in Orlando, Florida.
- My aunt moved to Denver, Colorado.
- The story takes place in London, England.
If you say both parts of the place name, you usually need a comma between them.
Using commas with states in sentences
When a city and state appear in the middle of a sentence, use commas after the city and after the state.
- My cousin lives in Albany, New York, and visits us often.
Think of the state name as extra information about the city, so it needs commas around it.
When not to use a comma
Do not use a comma if the place name has only one part or if the sentence ends with the state name.
- I live in California.
- She moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
If the sentence ends right after the state or country, you do not need another comma.