count if in excel - can this be done

yes, i adjusted it more

=COUNTIF(E:E,"*CAL*")

and it provides the results I needed. I was close when trying to figure it out i had the "*" on the outside of the quotes and not the inside

You might need to leave the dashes on either side of the city abbreviation to avoid counting cells that coincidently have that text.
Example:
(DON-MTL-AdvantageTours-Cab3) contains "van" but doesn't refer to Vancouver.

Originally Posted by Ron Coderre

You might need to leave the dashes on either side of the city abbreviation to avoid counting cells that coincidently have that text.
Example:
(DON-MTL-AdvantageTours-Cab3) contains "van" but doesn't refer to Vancouver.

you logic is sound, ty again!