Learn English – Difference between “at” and “in” when specifying location

at-indifferencesprepositions

I am used to saying "I am in India.". But somewhere I saw it said "I am at Puri (Oriisa)". I would like to know the differences between "in" and "at" in the above two sentences.

Best Answer

There are many answers for this, but looking at the dictionary we get:

at: In or near the area occupied by; in or near the location of

in: Within the limits, bounds, or area of

People are usually using in to note a general location and at for a more specific location.

I'm in the building, at the front desk

I'm in New York, at the conference

I'm in New York, at the Empire State Building

EDIT: But note also the difference when in is used to indicate inside

I'm in the elevator = I'm inside the elevator

I'm at the elevator = I'm near the elevator

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