How Big Is Riverdale, Exactly?

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ImBreakfast at Tiffanys, Veronica tells Archie and Betty, but this place is strictlyIn Cold Blood.

Cheryl and Jason float down the river … until they hit the rapids.

Hermione Lodge summons Archie to a massive bluff overlooking sharp rocks for a secret tete-a-tete.

And Betty and Jughead find a swamp deep enough to sink a car.

Further hints come from Riverdales famous maple syrup industry.

Untilrecent technological advances, maple syrup production was a side hustle for many rural farmers.

For perspective, Albany is just shy of 22 square miles.

Archies frantic drive to the hospital after Freds shooting further emphasizes Riverdales middle-of-nowhere feel.

and the hospital is nearly abandoned when Archie drags Fred through the doors.

Population

Riverdalegives us contradictory hints about the towns population size.

Despite financial issues after Freds shooting, Pops is the only restaurant in town.

(The Southside has the Whyte Worm, but its blatant gang affiliation limits its customer base.)

Pops is the go-to spot forhot dates,pre-wrestling egg-white omelettes, andprivate poker games with visiting crime bosses.

A more bustling town would have more bars and restaurants, no?

Meanwhile, Fox Forest is home to an active gay cruising scene.

As Vultures Jackson McHenryasks, Is Riverdales population large enough to support a thriving backwoods sex scene?

Do gay men from the local region drive over to Fox Forest to get their kicks?

These are essential questions, ones that go unanswered after Kevin Keller returns to swiping on GrindEm.

Riverdales school system also raises suspicions that the town is not so small.

The school district is therefore large enough to need at least three high schools.

And now we reach the Greendale problem.

How far apart are these two towns?

Otherwise, wouldnt Ms. Grundy risk running into Riverdale parents while shopping at the regional Mallmart?

So how rural can it really be?

Perhaps the most perplexing clue is the Lodge Industries SoDale project.

Is Riverdale close enough to Manhattan to be a commuter city?

Are they trying to attract Glamazons next headquarters?

Conclusion: Slightly more rural than Croton-on-Hudson, probably?

Yet still enough of a midsize city to lure Brooklynites into condos.

With such wide-ranging conclusions, ouranalysis ultimately raises more questions than it answers.

Does Riverdales devotion to Pops indicate a local quirk or a lack of options?

Does Jughead think town lines are actually force fields?

Whats the cost for a SoDale condo, and do they have hardwood floors?

Like the true identity of the Riverdale Reaper, we may never know for sure.