diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index c49fa1ab1781b561ddee05379edf86cde4f6fcb8..6f71d1b699e258de52bfdff399b0d0972ccbede9 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ gem "amazing_print"
 gem "bandwidth-sdk", "<= 6.1.0"
 gem "blather", git: "https://github.com/psycotica0/blather", branch: "cv_new_id"
 gem "braintree"
+gem "countries"
 gem "dhall", ">= 0.5.3.fixed"
 gem "em-hiredis"
 gem "em-http-request", git: "https://github.com/singpolyma/em-http-request", branch: "fix-letsencrypt"
diff --git a/lib/tel_selections.rb b/lib/tel_selections.rb
index c9b1402dff7e1151bd43b995c18fca947814fd24..39c74793f24f8fac160fbaeaaf3a0743815d08ed 100644
--- a/lib/tel_selections.rb
+++ b/lib/tel_selections.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ require "ruby-bandwidth-iris"
 Faraday.default_adapter = :em_synchrony
 
 require "cbor"
+require "countries"
 
 require_relative "area_code_repo"
 require_relative "form_template"
@@ -213,6 +214,8 @@ class TelSelections
 			end
 
 			def self.for(q, **kwa)
+				q = replace_region_names(q) unless q.start_with?("~")
+
 				@queries.each do |(regex, block)|
 					match_data = (q =~ regex)
 					return block.call($1 || $&, *$~.to_a[2..-1], **kwa) if match_data
@@ -221,6 +224,17 @@ class TelSelections
 				raise "Format not recognized: #{q}"
 			end
 
+			def self.replace_region_names(query)
+				ISO3166::Country[:US].subdivisions.merge(
+					ISO3166::Country[:CA].subdivisions
+				).reduce(query) do |q, (code, region)|
+					([region.name] + Array(region.unofficial_names))
+						.reduce(q) do |r, name|
+							r.sub(/#{name}\s*(?!,)/i, code)
+						end
+				end
+			end
+
 			def initialize(q)
 				@q = q
 			end
diff --git a/test/test_tel_selections.rb b/test/test_tel_selections.rb
index f4954a4bb095fb873ba199f8abaae60dd57d7784..a421cbf2cb79c59c46e0f761d26aa81295c94b1d 100644
--- a/test/test_tel_selections.rb
+++ b/test/test_tel_selections.rb
@@ -193,6 +193,34 @@ class TelSelectionsTest < Minitest::Test
 			assert_equal({ state: "ON" }, q.iris_query)
 		end
 
+		def test_for_state_name
+			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for("ontario")
+			assert_equal({ state: "ON" }, q.iris_query)
+		end
+
+		def test_for_new_york
+			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for("New York")
+			assert_equal({ state: "NY" }, q.iris_query)
+		end
+
+		def test_for_new_york_ny
+			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for(
+				"New York, NY",
+				db: FakeDB.new,
+				memcache: FakeMemcache.new
+			)
+			assert_equal({ city: "New York City", state: "NY" }, q.iris_query)
+		end
+
+		def test_for_new_york_new_york
+			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for(
+				"New York, New York",
+				db: FakeDB.new,
+				memcache: FakeMemcache.new
+			)
+			assert_equal({ city: "New York City", state: "NY" }, q.iris_query)
+		end
+
 		def test_for_citystate
 			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for(
 				"Toronto, ON",
@@ -202,6 +230,15 @@ class TelSelectionsTest < Minitest::Test
 			assert_equal({ city: "Toronto", state: "ON" }, q.iris_query)
 		end
 
+		def test_for_citystate_name
+			q = TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for(
+				"Toronto, Ontario",
+				db: FakeDB.new,
+				memcache: FakeMemcache.new
+			)
+			assert_equal({ city: "Toronto", state: "ON" }, q.iris_query)
+		end
+
 		def test_for_garbage
 			assert_raises { TelSelections::ChooseTel::Q.for("garbage") }
 		end