Austin is one of 20 cities that has made Amazon’s shortlist of places that could be home to the e-commerce giant’s second North American headquarters.
Austin has long been considered one of the most likely candidates because of its relatively low cost of living, high density of skilled tech workers and its ever-expanding footprint at the Domain in North Austin.
Dallas was the only other city in Texas to make the list. The remaining cities don't provide any strong hints as to what Amazon has been looking for. While, Denver, Atlanta and Boston probably won't surprise anyone, Columbus, Indianapolis and Raleigh might raise a few eyebrows.
Here's a look at the cities Amazon says are among its finalits:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Indianapolis, IN
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Montgomery County, MD
- Nashville, TN
- Newark, NJ
- New York City, NY
- Northern Virginia, VA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Raleigh, NC
- Toronto, ON
- Washington D.C.
Amazon received a total of 238 proposals for its HQ2 plans. It expects to make a decision on which city it will build in later this year.
Here are some reactions on Twitter:
Excited that Austin region has advanced to second round of #Amazon HQ2. Look forward to presenting the best of what our region has to offer and how we can partner with Amazon.
— Austin Chamber (@AustinChamber) January 18, 2018
Among the U.S. metros on Amazon's shortlist, the four that look least like a Seattle-style tech hub are Nashville, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Miami. Let's call those the biggest surprises on their list.
— Jed Kolko (@JedKolko) January 18, 2018
Nice how Amazon found 45 seconds in between the Fake News Awards and potential government shut-down to announce their #HQ2 "medium list."
— Scott Kirsner (@ScottKirsner) January 18, 2018
Other talked-about cities that did not make the #AMZN #HQ2 shortlist: San Jose, Memphis, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City
— Gordon Hendry (@GordonHendry) January 18, 2018
