Updated: Two Cities Emerge as Front Runners for Amazon's HQ2

According to leaked information, Northern Virginia, Dallas, and New York City were in the lead in the competition to land the location of the second Amazon headquarters. Now sources report the company will split the HQ2 footprint between two cities.

2 minute read

November 5, 2018, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Seattle, Washington

SeaRick1 / Shutterstock

[Updated Nov. 5, 2018]

The New York Times is reporting that Amazon has decided to split HQ2 into two locations in Long Island City, in New York City, and Crystal City, in Arlington County, Virginia.

"The company is nearing a deal to move to the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, according to two of the people briefed on the discussions. Amazon is also close to a deal to move to the Crystal City area of Arlington, Va., a Washington suburb, one of the people said. Amazon already has more employees in those two areas than anywhere else outside of Seattle, its home base, and the Bay Area," report Karen Weise and J. David Goodman.

Laura Stevens, Scott Calvert, and Tawnell D. Hobbs had the big scoop of the weekend [paywall]: "Amazon.com Inc. has progressed to late-stage talks on its planned second headquarters with a small handful of communities including northern Virginia’s Crystal City, Dallas and New York City, people familiar with the matter said…"

Reporting leaked information, the trio of reporters provide some of the first details to emerge on Amazon's process for selecting the location of its second headquarters since it announced 20 finalists at the beginning of 2018.

In another article that might be easier to access than the paywalled Wall Street Journal article, Jon Fingas reveals more details about the current status of talks in the three cities involved in late-stage talks, as well as some of the hopeful contenders that didn't make the news, like Atlanta, Denver, and Toronto.

Jeff Bezos, meanwhile, is still promising to make a final decision by the end of the year.

There was more breaking news today, as Laura Stevens reports [paywall] that "Amazon.com Inc. plans to split its second headquarters evenly between two locations rather than picking one city for HQ2." An article by Sara Salinas follows up on that breaking news without the obstacle of a paywall. The day concluded with the final details about Amazon working to finalize a deal for locations in both Long Island City and Crystal City.

Monday, November 5, 2018 in New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

Orange and white vintage-look streetcar on Market Street in San Francisco, CA.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024

The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

April 4 - San Francisco Chronicle

Green and silver Max BRT bus at station in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding

In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

April 4 - Colorado Public Radio

Low view of separated bike lanes in middle of Pennsylvania Avenue with U.S. Capitol dome visible at end of street at night.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy

The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.

April 4 - Grist