List of city nicknames in Minnesota

This partial list of city nicknames in Minnesota compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Minnesota are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. 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.[1] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth"[2] are also believed to have economic value.[1] Their economic value is difficult to measure,[1] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.[2]

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.

• Anoka – Halloween Capital of the World[3]
• Albert Lea – The Land Between the Lakes[4]
• Austin – Spamtown USA[5][6]
• Bemidji – First City on the Mississippi[7]
• Braham – Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota[8]
• Duluth
  • The Zenith City[9]
  • The Twin Ports (with Superior, Wisconsin)[9]
• Elk River – Where City and Country Flow Together[10]
• Hanover – The Little City on the Crow[11]
• Hermantown – The City of Quality Living[12]
• International Falls – The Icebox of the United States[13]
• Lake Benton – Windpower Capital[14]
• Madison – Lutefisk Capital of the World[8][15]
• Minneapolis
  • City of Flour and Sawdust (reported in 1883)[16]
  • City of Lakes[5][17]
  • Mill City[18]
  • The Mini Apple[5]
  • Murderapolis[19]
  • The Twin Cities (with St. Paul)
• Montgomery – Kolacky Capital of the World[8]
• Mountain Iron – Taconite Capital of the World[20]
• New Ulm – The City of Charm and Tradition[21]
• Northfield – Cows, Colleges and Contentment[22]
• Preston – America's Trout Capital[23]
• Robbinsdale – Birdtown[5][6]
• Rochester – Med City[24]
• St. Cloud – Granite City[25]
• St. Louis Park – St. Jewish Park[26]
• Saint Paul
  • Pigs Eye (the city's original name – see Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant for details)
  • Hockeytown[27]
  • Saintly City[28]
  • The Twin Cities (with Minneapolis)
• Stillwater – The Birthplace of Minnesota[29]
• Warroad – Hockeytown[30]
• Worthington – Turkey Capital of the World[31]

See also

• List of city nicknames in the United States

References

1. Muench, David (December 1993). "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts" (PDF). University of Wisconsin Extension. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. City of Anoka Web Site
4. City of Albert Lea website, accessed September 7, 2018
5. U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
6. Claims to Fame - Favorites, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
7. Claims to Fame - Activities Archived 2010-12-24 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 10, 2008.
8. Claims to Fame - Food Archived 2017-04-01 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
9. Twin Ports: Duluth/Superior Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 8, 2007. "Duluth, also known as the "Zenith City", is the larger of the two, and usually gets the most notoriety, but Superior, also referred to as "Soup Town"(because of common fog overhangs!) has a lot to offer residents as well as visitors."
10. http://www.elkriverchamber.org/city.aspx
11. City of Hanover Web Site
12. Hermantown School District Web Site
13. , Irvine World News, February 22, 2004
14. Claims to Fame - Energy, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
15. City of Madison, Minnesota - Welcome to the City of Madison, Minnesota
16. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
17. City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Official Web Site
18. As per the city history book, The Mill City; or the Mill City Museum
19. Return to Murderapolis
20. Welcome To Mountain Iron, motto listed on web site, accessed May 8, 2007.
21. The History Of New Ulm Archived 2007-02-06 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 8, 2007. "New Ulm, the City of "Charm and Tradition", is nestled just 90 miles southwest of the Twin Cities, in the heart of the scenic Minnesota River Valley."
22. Visiting Northfield: Two Colleges, One Town
23. Claims to Fame - Fish, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
24. Numerous organizations, including Med City Mobility, Med City Marathon, Med City Driving School, and Med City Limousines
25. Downtown St. Cloud, accessed May 8, 2007. "Since 1898, the region has supported one of the world's largest granite producers, Cold Spring Granite. Helping to give St. Cloud the surname "Granite City", this family-owned company employs about 900 people locally, including third and fourth generation craftspeople."
26. as per former resident Al Franken
27. SI.com - Writers - In Search of... Hockeytown U.S.A. Tuesday December 4, 2007, Sports Illustrated
28. night out; NIGHTWATCH; Sinning in the Saintly City.(SCENE) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
30. Fee, Kevin (May 10, 1999) Detroit Snatches 'Hockeytown' Name from Warroad, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
31. Claims to Fame - Birds, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.