Around the world in seven Stockports

The seven ~~wonders~~ Stockports of the world.

Yes, you read that correctly. You may not know it, but here in Stockport, Greater Manchester, we can't lay claim to exclusivity!

There are in fact seven other locations around the globe which use the name 'Stockport' in some way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of these spots were founded or discovered in the 19th century by colonial settlers or explorers, in English-speaking regions. And almost all of them are named after our Stockport - usually because that's where the town founder came from.

From windswept subarctic islands to sleepy Australian hamlets, here are seven Stockports from around the world.

Stockport, South Australia, Australia

Stockport railway station - in South Australia! (Image - Google Maps)

Quick facts:

Population | 234
Temperatures | 30°C (summer) / 16°C (winter)
Foundation date | 1845

This particular Stockport is the only entry for Australia. It was founded in 1845 by Samuel Stocks Jr, himself an 'original' Stopfordian who named the spot after his hometown in what would then have been Cheshire.

It started as a small farming hamlet, and to this day, it remains small. The most recent census put the population at just 234.

This Stockport is famous for its astronomical observatory, and for its original stone homes.

The closest large settlement is Adelaide - at 45 miles away!

The Stockport Islands, Nunavut, Canada

A beach in the Bathurst Inlet, close to where the Stockport Islands are (Image - Mike Beauregard / Wikimedia Commons)

Quick facts:

Population | uninhabited
Temperatures | 17°C (summer) / -10°C (winter)
Discovered | 19th century

This is undoubtedly the chilliest Stockport on our list, with a subarctic climate and temperatures which often pass below freezing. And you thought crossing the A6 bridge over the M60 in the driving rain was bad.

These islands sit in the Bathurst Inlet, and were discovered by European explorers, who gave this remote spot its name. It's unclear whether the explorers themselves were from Stockport, or if they had just heard of it.

The islands sit along the northern coast of Canada, in the state of Nunavut - the northernmost of all states in the Americas.

Indeed, Nunavut also happens to be home to Alert, which is the northernmost continuously inhabited place in the world.

1916 - Six Inuit enjoy some lunch near the Bathurst Inlet, where the Stockport Islands are situated. Most of the population of Nunavut is still Inuit (Image - John Raffles Cox / Wikimedia Commons)

Around 85% of Nunavut's inhabitants identify as Inuit.

The closest inhabited place to the Stockport Islands is Cambridge Bay, or Iqaluktuuttiaq (population 1,760). It's 135 miles away over sub-arctic waters… The Stockport islands really are quite isolated.

It's humbling to know that explorers from our town may have reached a spot as far-flung as this!

Stockport, Indiana, USA

Stockport, Indiana sits at a crossroads (Image - Google Maps)

Quick facts:

Population | uninhabited
Temperatures | 30°C (summer) / -5°C (winter)
Founded | 19th century

This Stockport is sadly no longer inhabited.

It was founded in the 19th century - its post office opened in 1892, but closed in 1914.

Unlike many other Stockports in our list, this was not named after our Stockport - rather it likely took its name from its livestock trade.

Typically of midwestern locations, the area sees hot, humid summers, and windy, snowy winters.

Stockport, Iowa, USA

The schoolhouse in Stockport, Iowa (Image - PopePompus / Wikimedia Commons)

Quick facts:

Population | 272
Temperatures | 30°C (summer) / -5°C (winter)
Founded | 1910

Stockport Iowa has always been a fairly small hamlet. Its largest population was recorded in the 1920s - 386 people.

The 2010 census reports 112 households and 76 families. Most residents here were relatively young - the average age being around 33.

It sits in the Van Buren County which, despite occupying around ten times the land area of Stockport UK, only has a population of 7,203.

Stockport, New York, USA

'Stockport Flats' - seen from the window of an Amtrak train on its way through Stockport to New York City (Image - Andre Carrotflower / Wikimedia Commons)

Quick facts:

Population | 2,670
Temperatures | 23°C (summer) / -3°C (winter)
Founded | 1657 / renamed 1833

This Stockport boasts quite a storied history. Its oldest inhabitants were Dutch migrants in the mid 17th century. The first buildings here were attacked by Native Americans, and later rebuilt.

It wasn't until 1833 that James Wild, a son of Stockport UK, renamed the town. By this point it encompassed areas which were formerly known as Stuyvesant, Ghent, and Hudson.

Like its cousin across the pond, Stockport New York is famous for its industrial history. It featured woollen mills which were powered by water from Stockport Creek.

The modern town has around 1,000 households. Its nearest city is Albany, the capital of New York State (around 25 miles away). And it's about 100 miles from New York city itself.

This particular Stockport also boasts its own website!

Stockport, Ohio, USA

Broadway Street - the main road which runs through Stockport, Ohio (Image - Google Maps)

Quick facts:

Population | 483
Temperatures | 30°C / 2°C
Founded | 1870

The final Stockport on our list is another midwestern US hamlet. It features around 190 households, and covers just 0.33 square miles.

It also boasts a pizzeria, an RV park, a dollar store, and a historic mill, powered by water from the Muskingum river.

It sits on land which was once part of a historic grant from US Congress in 1792, whereby 100 acre parcels were granted to any males aged over 18.

The town itself was founded around 1870, and like many others on our list, it was named after the Greater Manchester Stockport.

According to the 2010 census, around 27.8% of families here fell below the poverty line.

Stockpoort, South Africa / Botswana

This African Stockport sits on the border between South Africa and Botswana. It is a set of border posts between the two countries, separated by the Limpopo river.

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