# City nicknames **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2006, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516 "2006-09-13T08:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/121 "2013-01-05T11:19:52Z")
Grants Pass, Oregon is often referred to as Pass Gas by its denizens. Or just GP. I’ve heard Houston called The Armpit of America, and it kinda makes sense given the humidity and the air quality. I’ve also heard Houston called H-Town. I know it’s nickname is The Bayou City but I’ve never actually heard anyone use it. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/122 "2013-01-05T15:13:57Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > heard Houston called H-Town. I know it’s nickname is The Bayou City but I’ve never actually heard anyone use it. You’re right. The only people that call it that(The Bayou City) are douchebags. Or someone running for office—oh, SAME THING 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/123 "2013-01-05T16:38:38Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Seattle - The Emerald City That was nothing but a marketing firm’s answer to former mayor Charlie Royer’s request for a better nickname than what was the official nickname of Seattle which was the Queen City. Royer claimed having the same nickname as other places was confusing. As a Boeing employee, I prefer the unofficial nickname of Jet City. I am originally from Tacoma, The city of destiny. And let’s not forget the Aroma of Tacoma. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/124 "2013-01-05T16:41:01Z")
IMHO — I despise city nicknames based on airport codes or first initials, like “ATL,” “O-Town.” They’re lazy, boring, stupid, and annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/125 "2013-01-05T18:27:04Z")
Detroit has a couple of other mildly cool nicknames not in the OP -Hockeytown (from a Red Wings marketing campaign) -Arsenal of Democracy (adopted it in World War II) -The Paris of the Midwest (not applicable in a long time) I was browsing Wikipedia’s list of city nicknames and apparently Oakland, CA was once called “Detroit of the West.” Other Michigan ones I like: Ann Arbor - A[sup]2[/sup] (there’s a local ice rink called the Ann Arbor Ice Cube written as A[sup]2[/sup] Ice[sup]3[/sup]) Kalamazoo - K’zoo Frankenmuth - Michigan’s Little Bavaria ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/126 "2013-01-05T18:30:49Z")
> [@Jodi](#): > > Also . . . . “Lake Wobegon: Gateway to Central Minnesota.” 🙂 The only bumper sticker my best friend ever allowed on his car. ETA: I too hate people that use nicknames for your city, that are rarely used or don’t fit. “So how are things in _Madilicious_”? “Ummm, no one calls it that…” “Okay, Mad City!” “No..” “Mad Town?” “How about Madison?” “Harshin’ me, bro…” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/127 "2013-01-05T18:33:38Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > Detroit has a couple of other mildly cool nicknames not in the OP > \ > -Arsenal of Democracy (adopted it in World War II)\ Arsehole of democracy, you say? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/128 "2013-01-05T18:55:22Z")
> [@digs](#): > > The only bumper sticker my best friend ever allowed on his car. Garrison Keillor is about as funny as a train wreck: :rolleyes: [http://wtso.net/movie/258-The\_Simpsons\_506\_Marge\_on\_the\_Lam.html](http://wtso.net/movie/258-The_Simpsons_506_Marge_on_the_Lam.html) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/129 "2013-01-05T19:04:43Z")
Ganymede’s Jupiter City is known as “The Jumping Off Point for the Stars!” Also known as “Alien Rapist City” ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/130 "2013-01-05T19:29:21Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:54, topic:372516”] Billings, Montana is “the Magic City.” I can’t imagine why. [/QUOTE] I realize this thread is a zombie, but Billings is called the Magic City because [it seemingly sprang up from out of nowhere](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billings,_Montana). I remember a seeing a whole list of Montana city nicknames when I was a kid, but “Magic City” for Billings is the only one I ever remember hearing in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/131 "2013-01-06T04:45:03Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > … > D.C. – “Chocolate City,” but given gentrification this is being replaced by the now more demographically accurate “Drama City.” > > –Cliffy When I lived there 20 years ago, I never once heard this. It was usually “The District”, less often “The City” or “DC”. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/132 "2013-01-06T04:48:08Z")
I’ve never heard that once in the 18 years I’ve been here. I’ve always understood New Orleans to be the Chocolate City. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/133 "2013-01-06T04:55:16Z")
Outside of U.S, Mumbai(Bombay) is the **Maximum City**. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/134 "2013-01-06T05:30:17Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Valladolid, Spain, is known as Pucela for no apparent reason; more pejoratively, Fachadolid, because of the supposed right-wing tendencies of its inhabitants. Wow, answering more than 6 years later… Pucela is its original, latin name. And while I hadn’t heard Fachadolid before, the _province_ (not city, although capital and province share the same name) is the one that got the second collective _Laureada_ from Franco. The _Laureada_ (Cross of Saint Ferdinand with Laurel Crown) is the highest military decoration in Spain; Franco granted a collective one to Navarre in thanks to the Carlistas, and one to Valladolid in thanks to the Falangistas (“Fachas”). So I can see where the provincial nick would come from, but like I said, first time I’ve heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/135 "2013-01-06T18:50:01Z")
One city not mentioned yet: **[Kansas City](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri)** is called “Cowtown” by many. Also “KCMO” (pronounced K-C-Moe), but most people just say “K-C.” I haven’t lived there for over 20 years, so there might be something more recent. Btw, if someone does say “Kansas City” for any reason, in practically any context, including the [famous song](http://youtu.be/MbcY0qtJ1iY) (covered by the [Beatles](http://youtu.be/GOYq9JiBW3s) and [Fats Domino](http://youtu.be/l9O8XjZTrp4) among others), they’re talking about **Kansas City, MISSOURI** \*. Rarely does anyone mean the _other_ [Kansas City](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Kansas), the small city across the river. That place is known as “KCK.” I’ve lived in both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri and I never called Kansas City, Kansas, “Kansas City” even when I lived there. It was always KCK. I was born and raised in and around [Leavenworth, Kansas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavenworth,_Kansas), aka “Prison City” due to the many incarceration abodes. There are more than the gangster movie go-to “Yer goin’ to Leavenworth, Lefty!” threat. > [@](#): > > Leavenworth is the home of many detention centers and prisons, including the Leavenworth federal prison for which the city is most famous, and several smaller jails and prisons, including the city and county jails, a Federal Detention Center, and the military’s only maximum security prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks which is inside the Military Corrections Complex that also includes the Joint Regional Correctional Facility, a pre- and post-trial detention facility built in 2010.[9] The very large Kansas State Penitentiary and a state medium security prison are also located nearby - Missouri is correctly pronounced Miz-UR-eee, not Miz-ur-UH or Miz-ur-eye, or MIZ-ur-ee (well, sometimes that), or Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin’s home state (hey, he was born in New York, not that I care, because I escaped). ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/136 "2013-01-06T19:35:40Z")
Spokane is The Queen of the Inland Empire. Gilroy CA is garlic city ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/137 "2013-01-06T19:45:48Z")
Topeka, Kansas has an official nickname. It’s "The Golden City’ Fred Phelps, who lives here too, tells us that’s a sign that Topeka is doomed, as it was what the Book of Revelations called the city of Babylon, a symbol for corruption. Oh, and since the ZIP codes start with 666–, it’s another bad sign. And the university sports team is the Ichabods, a biblical name meaning “God’s glory has departed.” _ **GOLDEN CITY, you rule!** _ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/138 "2013-01-06T20:06:09Z")
In California, on the Monterey Peninsula, you have the enclave of Carmel, the Methodist retreat of Pacific Grove, and the old cannery town of Monterey. Back in the day, they were known as Carmel by the Sea, Monterey by the Smell, and Pacific Grove by God. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/139 "2013-01-07T00:03:41Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Oh yes, and mustn’t forget Winnipeg, aka Winterpeg or The Peg. What? No mention of the towns most distinguishing feature, mosquitoes the size of Buicks? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516/140 "2013-01-07T00:12:58Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > One city not mentioned yet: **[Kansas City](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri)** is called “Cowtown” by many. Also “KCMO” (pronounced K-C-Moe), but most people just say “K-C.” I haven’t lived there for over 20 years, so there might be something more recent. The official nickname for Kansas City is _“City of Fountains”_ due to the large number of fountains (over 200), and in [fact the city seal and flag have graphics of a stylized fountain on them](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City,_Missouri). But the term is not used by anyone who is not actually on the city payroll. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames/372516.md?page=8)