List of city nicknames in the United States
This partial list of city nicknames in the United States compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities are sometimes known by, officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards.
A separate list of city nicknames is also available; that list covers other countries as well as certain common types of nicknames such as birthplaces, self-proclaimed capitals, and comparative nicknames.
- Akron, Ohio
- Albany, Georgia
- Albany, Oregon
- Home of the Timber Carnival
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Alpine, Texas
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Annapolis, Maryland
- Albion, Michigan
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Altus, Oklahoma
- The City With a Future to Share
- Amsterdam, New York
- Atlanta, Georgia
- A-Town -- popular among hip hop fans
- Hotlanta
- The Athens of the South
- The A-T-L
- The Phoenix City (of the South)
- The New York of the South
- The City Too Busy to Hate
- Dogwood City
- Gate City of the South
- Augusta, Georgia
- The Garden City
- Home of the Masters
- Aurora, Colorado
- Baldwin Park, California
- The City That Time Forgot
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Balmo or Balmer -- imitations of the local pronunciation of Baltimore
- Charm City
- Mob Town
- Monument City
- Bandon, Oregon
- Storm Capital of the World
- Bangor, Maine
- Battle Creek, Michigan
- Beaver, Oklahoma
- Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World
- Bemidji, Minnesota
- Berkeley, California
- Berzerkeley
- The People's Republic of Berkeley
- Bickleton, Washington
- Bluebird Capital of the World
- Binghamton, New York
- Parlor City
- Carousel Capital of the World
- Birmingham, Alabama
- The Pittsburgh of the South
- The Magic City
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Athens of America
- Beantown
- The City of Kind Hearts
- The Cradle of Liberty
- The Hub -- short for hub of the universe
- Purity City
- Boise, Idaho
- Brainerd, Minnesota
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Bristol, Tennessee
- Bristol, Rhode Island
- America's most patriotic town
- Brockton, Massachusetts
- Bryan, Ohio
- Buffalo, New York
- Bison City
- The City of Good Neighbors
- The Flour City
- The Nickel City
- The Queen City (of the Great Lakes)
- Burlington, Iowa
- The Loader/Backhoe Capital of the World
- Burlington, Vermont
- The Queen City
- The People's Republic of Burlington (used when Bernie Sanders was mayor)
- Butte, Montana
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- The People's Republic of Cambridge
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- The Graveyard of the Atlantic
- Castroville, California
- Artichoke Center of the World
- Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
- Chambana
- Shampoo-Banana
- Urpaign
- Charleston, South Carolina
- America's Most Historic City
- Palmetto City
- The Holy City
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Dynamo of Dixie
- The Scenic City
- Chicago, Illinois
- Chitown
- City of Big Shoulders
- Cowtown
- Hog Butcher of the World
- Second City
- Slaughterhouse of the World
- Windy City
- Churubusco, Indiana
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Queen City (of the West)
- Porkopolis
- Cleveland, Ohio
- America's North Coast
- Mistake on the Lake
- Cody, Wyoming
- Rodeo Capital of the World
- Columbia, Maryland
- Columbus, Ohio
- Cowtown
- The Crossroads of Ohio
- Cooperstown, New York
- Coos Bay, Oregon
- Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Crestwood, Kentucky
- Dallas, Texas
- Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
- Danbury, Connecticut
- Dayton, Ohio
- Gem City
- Birthplace of aviation
- Davenport/Bettendorf, Iowa / Moline/East Moline/Rock Island, Illinois
- Denver, Colorado
- City of the Plains
- Convention City
- Gateway to the Rockies
- The Mile-High City
- Queen City
- Detroit, Michigan
- The City of Champions
- The Motor City
- Motown
- Douglas, Wyoming
- Jackalope Capital of the World
- Duncanville, Texas
- Durham, North Carolina
- Bull City
- City of Medicine
- East Orange, New Jersey
- Illtown -- popular among hip hop fans
- El Cajon, California
- Polite City of El Cajon
- Hub of East County
- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Fallbrook, California
- Avocado Capital of the World
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Fort Myers, Florida
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Summit City
- City of Churches
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Frannie, Wyoming
- The Biggest Little Town in Wyoming
- Frederick, Maryland
- Fredneck -- derogatory reference to rednecks
- Fresno, California
- Raisin Capital of the World
- Armpit of California
- Fulton, New York
- Gainesville, Florida
- Galena, Illinois
- The City That Time Forgot
- Gallup, New Mexico
- Drunk-Driving Capital of America
- Geneva, New York
- Lake Trout Capital of the World
- Gilroy, California
- Garlic Capital of the World
- Gold Beach, California
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Furniture City
- Second City of Michigan
- The Valley City
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Greenfield, California
- Broccoli Capital of the World
- Hammondsport, New York
- Hawthorne, California
- The City of Good Neighbors
- Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Hollywood, California
- Hollyweird
- Show Business Capital of the World
- Tinseltown
- Holtville, California
- The Carrot Capital of the World
- Hood River, Oregon
- Windsurfing Capital of the World
- Hoople, North Dakota
- Houston, Texas
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Circle City
- Naptown
- Railroad City
- Indio, California
- Date Capital of the World
- International Falls, Minnesota
- The Icebox of the United States
- Isleton, California
- Jackson, Michigan
- Birthplace of the Republican Party
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Chilltown -- popluar among hip hop fans
- Joliet, Illinois
- Jonesboro, Arkansas
- The City of Churches
- The Crepe Myrtle City
- J-Town
- Joneburr
- Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Celery City
- Kazoo (often spelled in print as "K'zoo")
- Kansas City, Missouri
- City of Fountains
- Cowtown
- Heart of America
- Keizer, Oregon
- Iris Capital of the World
- Kelseyville, California
- Pear Capital of the World
- Kenai, Alaska
- The Village With a Past, the City With a Future
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- The Marble City
- K-Town
- The Streaking Capital of the World
- Kokomo, Indiana
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Lansing, Kansas
- Laramie, Wyoming
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- City of Lights
- Entertainment Capital of the World
- Sin City
- Lost Wages
- Lemon Grove, California
- Leominster, Massachusetts
- Pioneer Plastic City. (Note: it is where the original plastic pink lawn flamingoes were first manufactured)
- Lilburn, Georgia
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Lodi, California
- The Grape Capital of the World
- Louisville, Kentucky
- City of Beautiful Churches
- Falls City
- Los Angeles, California
- The Big Orange
- City of Angels
- The City of Champions
- City of Flowers and Sunshine
- La-La Land -- although this is more commonly used to refer to Hollywood, which is a part of Los Angeles)
- Lowell, Arkansas
- The Town With a Past, the City With a Future
- Lowell, Wyoming
- Lynn, Massachusetts
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Mankato, Minnesota
- Marshall, Texas
- Athens of Texas
- City of Seven Flags
- Gateway to Texas
- Pottery Capital of the World
- Marysville, California
- Gateway to the Gold Fields
- Massillon, Ohio
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Birthplace of the Blues
- The River City
- Bluff City
- Miami, Florida
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Cream City
- Flour City
- Beer City
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Mill City
- The Minni Apple
- Murderopolis -- during the early 1990s
- The City of Lakes
- Flour City (19th Century early 20th)
- Monett, Minnesota
- Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
- Mobile, Alabama
- Monterey, California
- Mountain Iron, Minnesota
- Taconite Capital of the World
- Muncie, Indiana
- Nashville, Tennessee
- The Athens of the South
- Music City
- The Protestant Vatican
- Newark, New Jersey
- Brick City -- popular among hip hop fans
- The Armpit of New Jersey
- New Haven, Connecticut
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- The Big Easy
- The City That Time Forgot
- The Crescent City
- The Queen City of the South
- New York, New York
- The Big Apple
- Bagdad-on-the-Hudson (an O. Henry name for it)
- The Capital of the World
- The City
- The City So Nice They Named It Twice
- The City That Never Sleeps (from a song by Kander and Ebb)
- Empire City
- Gotham
- The Melting Pot
- Oakdale, California
- Cowboy Capital of the World
- Oaktown
- Oakland, California
- Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- The Secret City
- The Atomic City
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- The Renaissance City
- The City (of Oklahoma)
- Oroville, California
- Oxnard, California
- Strawberry Capital of the World
- Pasadena, California
- Patterson, California
- Apricot Capital of the World
- Pearsonville, California
- Hubcap Capital of the World
- Pendelton, Oregon
- Petaluma, California
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- City of Brotherly Love
- Philly (never used by locals)
- Rebel Capital of the World
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- The Birmingham of America
- The 'Burgh
- City of Bridges
- The City of Champions
- Iron City
- Steel City
- Placerville, California
- Portland, Maine
- Portland, Oregon (see section in the city's main article for more examples)
- City of Roses
- Rip City
- Stumptown
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Redmond, Washington
- Reno, Nevada
- The Biggest Little City in the World
- Skeeno -- among punk rock fans
- Reseda, California
- Rigby, Idaho
- Rochester, New York
- Rockport, Massachusetts
- The Mendocino of the East
- Rogue Valley, Oregon
- Pear Capital of the World
- Rye, New York
- Sacramento, California
- St. Louis, Missouri
- City With a Future
- The Gateway City
- Gateway to the West
- St. Louie (strongly discouraged in most contexts)
- The "Lou"
- The Mound City
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Moscow on the Mississippi
- Salem, Massachusetts
- City of Witches
- The Witch City
- Salem, Oregon
- San Antonio, Texas
- San Diego, California
- America's Finest City
- The Plymouth of the West
- Slow Death -- among punk rock fans
- San Francisco, California
- Baghdad by the Bay
- City of Love
- Frisco (never used by locals)
- Golden Gate City
- Shaky Town
- Fog City/Fogtown
- The City
- San Jose, California
- San Ho
- San Hose
- The Capital of Silicon Valley
- The Garden City
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Santa Rosa, New Mexico
- The Scuba Capital of New Mexico
- Saratoga Springs, New York
- The Spa City
- Toga (slang term, less used)
- Schenectady, New York
- Seattle, Washington
- Emerald City -- official since 1982
- Jet City
- Queen City (of the Pacific Northwest) -- official from 1869-1982
- Selma, California
- The Raisin Capital of the World
- Sonoma, California
- The Queen of the Southern Mines
- Stockton, California
- California's Sunrise Seaport
- Sturgis, Michigan
- Curtain Rod Capital of the World
- Sumner, Iowa
- Syracuse, New York
- Salt City
- Central City
- The 'Cuse
- Typewriter City
- City of Bridges
- Tacoma, Washington
- Thousand Oaks, California
- Toledo, Ohio
- The Glass City
- Frog Town
- Corn City
- Toppenish, Washington
- Where The West Lives On
- City of Murals
- City of Murals and Museums
- Tremonton, Utah
- Troy, New York
- Tucson, Arizona
- Tulelake, California
- Horesradish Capital of the World
- Tyler, Texas
- City of Roses
- Rose Capital of the World
- Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Victor, California
- Walla Walla, Washington
- The City That Was So Nice They Named It Twice
- Walla2
- Wallyworld
- Washington DC
- Capital City
- Chocolate City -- referring to the number of African-Americans and the a name of a song by Parliament
- News Capital of the World
- Waterbury, Connecticut
- Wenatchee, Washington
- The Apple Capital of the World
- Westfield, Massachusetts
- West Hollywood, California
- Boystown
- The Creative City
- West Palm Beach, California
- Westwood, California
- Wheeling, West Virginia
- Wichita, Kansas
- Yakima, Washington
- York, Pennsylvania
- White Rose City (In honor of York, England in the War of the Roses)
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Murdertown, USA (1963-?)
- Y-town
- Yo. (often used in mailing addresses)