This list of city nicknames in Illinois compiles the

aliases A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

s and

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

s that Illinois

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders, or their

tourism board A destination marketing organization (DMO) is an organisation which promotes a location as an attractive travel destination. DMOs are known as tourist boards, tourism authorities or "Convention and Visitors Bureaux". They primarily exist to provide ...

s or

chambers of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.

Nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

s and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" are also believed to have economic value. Their economic value is difficult to measure, but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

ing" themselves by adopting new slogans. Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

Nicknames by city

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

– Gem of the Fox River Valley * Arlington Heights – Action Heights *

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

– City of Lights *

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

**The Windmill City **City of Energy * Beardstown – Watermelon Capital * Belleville – Belle-Vegas * Bloomington – The Evergreen City *

Bloomington–Normal Bloomington–Normal, officially known as the Bloomington, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, is a metropolitan area in Central Illinois anchored by the twin municipalities of Bloomington and Normal. At the 2010 census, the municipaliti ...

together **Blo-No **The Twin Cities *

Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove, officially the Village of Buffalo Grove, is a village in Lake and Cook County, Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of Downtown Chicago. As of the 2020 Census, Buffalo Grove has a population of 43,212. It tota ...

– The Gymnastics Capital of Illinois * Canton – Plow City *

Champaign Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...

–

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

** ChambanaU.S. City Monikers
Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008 **

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

* Charleston – Chucktown *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

– The Home of Popeye *

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

(A to Z) **Chi-Town **Chiraq **City in a Garden (literal translation of city motto, ''Urbs in horto'') **The City of the Big Shoulders (from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, a

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...

poem) **The City That Works (by Mayor Daley, for example) **Mud City **The Second City **The White City (referencing the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

) **The Windy City * Collinsville – Horseradish Capital of the World *

Crystal Lake Crystal Lake or Crystal Lakes may refer to: Lakes Canada * Crystal Lake (Saskatchewan) * Crystal Lake (Ontario), drain into the Lynn River, which drains into Lake Erie United States * Crystal Lake, California, a mountain lake in Nevad ...

– A Good Place to LiveCity of Crystal Lake
Accessed August 18, 2007. * Decatur **D-Town **Soybean Capital of the World ** Soy City *

DeKalb DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to: People * Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War Places Municipalities in the United States * DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb **DeKal ...

– Barbed Wire Capital of the World *

Des Plaines Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 60,675. The city is a suburb of Chicago and is located just north of O'Hare International Airport. It is situated on and is named after the ...

– City of Destiny *

East St. Louis East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

**City of Champions **East Boogie **East Side **ESL * Effingham – The Ham * Elgin **The City in the Suburbs **The City to Watch * Evanston – Heavenston * Freeport – Pretzel City, USA * Griggsville – Purple Martin Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Birds
ePodunk, accessed April 16, 2007. *

Glen Ellyn Glen Ellyn is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. A suburb located due west of downtown Chicago, the village has a population of 28,846 as of the 2020 Census. History Glen Ellyn, like the neighboring town to the east, Lomba ...

– Babcock's Grove * Huntley – The Friendly Village with Country Charm * Joliet **City of Champions **City of "Snap and Progress" **City of Steel (or City of Steel and Stone)Joliet, Illinois
Encyclopedia of Chicago **City of Stone **Prison City (or Prison Town)Illinois Farmers' Institute (1919)
Annual Report and Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting Held in Joliet, Illinois, February 19, 20, and 21, 1919
"Joliet is known as 'stone city,' 'prison city,' 'steel city,' and city of 'snap and progress.' **J-Town * Kankakee – Key City * Kewanee – Hog Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Animals
ePodunk, accessed April 16, 2007. * Lombard – The Lilac Village * Lisle – The Arboretum Village *

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

– Hub City of the Universe *

Marseilles Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

**Martucky **Best Little Town by a Dam Site * Mattoon – Bagel Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Food
, ePodunk, accessed April 16, 2007. *

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

– The Home of Superman * Moline – Plow Capital of the World *

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

– The Maple City *

Morton Morton may refer to: People * Morton (surname) * Morton (given name) Fictional * Morton Koopa, Jr., a character and boss in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' * A character in the ''Charlie and Lola'' franchise * A character in the 2008 film '' Horton ...

– Pumpkin Capital of the World * Olney – Home of the White SquirrelsWhite Squirrel Wars
Roadside America, accessed April 21, 2007. "Olney, IL;

Marionville, Missouri Marionville is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,225 at the 2010 census. Marionville is known for its large population of white squirrels. History Marionville was platted in 1854. The city name has been ...

;

Kenton, Tennessee Kenton is a town in Gibson and Obion counties, Tennessee. The population was 1,281 at the 2010 census, a decline of 25 from 2000. The Gibson County portion of Kenton is part of the Humboldt, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the Obion Co ...

;

Brevard, North Carolina Brevard is a city in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 7,609 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Transylvania County. Brevard is located at the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and has become ...

;

Exeter, Ontario Exeter is a community in the municipality of South Huron, in the southern portion of Huron County, Ontario, Canada, located approximately 40 kilometres north of London. The community proclaims itself the "Home of the White Squirrel", owing to ...

. Not one, but five towns use albino squirrels as their claims to fame, and none is particularly happy about the others." * Park Ridge – Home of the Hawks * Pana – City of Roses * Pekin **Celestial CityBarry Popik
Smoky City
barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005 **Marigold Capital of the World
, ePodunk, accessed April 16, 2007. * Peoria – P-Town * Quincy – Gem City * Rantoul – Rantucky * Rockford **The Forest City **Screw City *

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

**Flower City **Springpatch * St. Charles – The Pride of the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

Teutopolis Teutopolis is a village in Effingham County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,618. Geography Teutopolis is located in northeastern Effingham County at (39.132125, -88.478435). U.S. Route 40 (National Roa ...

– T-Town *

Thomson Thomson may refer to: Names * Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin * Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson Businesses and organizations * SGS-Thomson Mic ...

– The Melon Capital of the World * Warrenville – For a Visit, Or a Lifetime * Wilmington – The Island CityThe History of Wilmington, IL
, City of Wilmington website

References

External links

a list
of American and a few Canadian nicknames

{{Illinois *

City nicknames This is a list of nickname-related list articles on Wikipedia. A nickname is "a familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name." A nickname is often considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Nicknames by city

See also

References

External links