City limits facts for kids

City limits are like invisible lines that show exactly where a city, town, or village begins and ends. Think of them as the official borders of a community. These lines are super important because they decide which local government is in charge of an area.

What Are City Limits?

City limits are the official boundaries that mark the edge of a city's area. They are set by the local government, like a city council, and are shown on maps. When you drive into a city, you often see a sign welcoming you, and that sign is usually placed right at the city limit.

Why Do Cities Have Limits?

City limits are very important for many reasons:

• Services: They help decide which city provides services like water, trash collection, police, and fire protection to homes and businesses. If you live inside the city limits, you get services from that city.
• Laws: The laws and rules (called ordinances) of a city only apply within its limits. This means speed limits, zoning rules (what kinds of buildings can be built where), and other local rules are different inside and outside the city.
• Taxes: People and businesses inside city limits usually pay local taxes to that city. These taxes help pay for the services the city provides.
• Voting: City limits also define who can vote in city elections and for which city leaders.

How Are Limits Decided?

City limits are usually decided through a legal process. This often involves:

• Surveys: Land surveyors use special tools to measure and mark the exact lines.
• Maps: Official maps are created to show where the city limits are.
• Government Decisions: Local governments, like a city council, vote to approve and change these boundaries.

What Happens at the Limits?

Sometimes, city limits can run right through a street, a field, or even a building! This means one side of a street might be in one city, and the other side in a different one. This can affect things like which police department responds to an emergency or which school district children attend.

Different Names for Limits

While "city limits" is a common term, you might also hear "town limits" or "village limits." These mean the exact same thing but are used for towns or villages, which are usually smaller communities than cities.

How City Limits Change

City limits are not always fixed forever. They can change over time, usually in two main ways:

Annexation: Growing a City

Annexation is when a city expands its borders to include new areas that were previously outside its limits. Cities often do this to:

• Grow: Add more land for homes, businesses, and people.
• Provide Services: Extend city services like water and sewer to nearby areas that need them.
• Increase Tax Money: Bring more properties into the city's tax base, which helps fund city services.

The process of annexation usually involves a vote by the city government and sometimes a vote by the people living in the area being annexed.

De-annexation: Shrinking a City

De-annexation is the opposite of annexation. It's when a city removes an area from its official limits. This happens less often than annexation. A city might de-annex an area if:

• The area no longer wants to be part of the city.
• The city finds it too expensive or difficult to provide services to that area.

This process also involves legal steps and decisions by the local government.

Images for kids

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  Large signs like this one in Schulenburg, Texas are often posted at the city limits of American cities.

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  Rail tracks and roads often separate or bound cities. In this case, a BNSF right of way and Esperanza Road separate the strip mall on the left, which is in Yorba Linda, from the car dealership on the right, which is in Anaheim.