NEW YORK � Amazon is narrowing the list of cities under consideration for its second headquarters to 20, with the largest concentration in the Northeast.

Amazon, based in Seattle, plans to invest $5 billion in the new headquarters and could employ as many as 50,000 people in and around the city it chooses.

Missouri had pitched big incentives for the company, including a bi-city option of St. Louis and Kansas City, connected by a proposed high-speed hyperloop tube for speedy travel between the two metro areas.

Cities are in fierce competition to lure Amazon, which has revolutionized the way people shop.

The list released on Thursday includes the cities of Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio. It also listed northern Virginia and Montgomery County in Maryland as potential sites.