7 Of The World’s Largest Cities – BEFORE They Were Cities (IMAGES/VIDEO)

When you think of big cities, you probably don’t think about rolling hills and farms. That’s how many of them started out, though.

Cities like New York might consist of five burrows today, but it didn’t start out that way. There’s also cities like Paris and Orlando, which conjure up images of busy crowds and heavy traffic.

Here are some before and after pictures of major cities, reminding us that things really do change over time.

1. New York City, New York

NYC was originally called New Amsterdam and didn’t change until 1664, when people changed it to pay tribute to the Duke of York. Here’s a map of what it originally looked like.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

Flash forward to today, where it’s spread out over five burrows and filled with businesses.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter
Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

2. Paris, France

Paris has been around for about 2,000 years. It was founded in 250 B.C. and this map shows what it looked like in the 17th century.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

Here’s what it looks like today, where millions of people call it home.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

3. Chicago, Illinois

Chicago was founded in 1844 with about 200 people. It wasn’t long before it became a moderately sized city, though.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

That’s nothing compared to how busy it is today.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

4. Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles was founded back in 1781. The horses and open field is vastly different than what you’ll find today.

Source: Screenshot Via YouTube

No horses in that traffic jam.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

5. Orlando, Florida

Orlando was formed in 1875 with just 85 residents. Think dirt roads and horse buggies, not cars and freeways.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

Today it’s another major metropolis with back to back traffic.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

6. Dallas, Texas

Dallas was founded in 1841. As you can see in the map below, it was full of farms and trees.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

Today it’s a major city, complete with skyscrapers and millions of people.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

7. Philadelphia, Pennslyvania

Founded in 1682, this city played a huge role in the foundation of our country. The painting below depicts how it used to look, complete with rolling hills and lush greenery.

Source: Screenshot Via YouTube

Now it’s dotted with buildings and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Source: Screenshot Via Twitter

Watch this video to see how vastly different NYC was in 1814 versus 2014.

YouTube Channel: Jordan Liles

H/T: Business Insider 

Feature Image Source: Screenshot Via Twitter