List of city nicknames in Iowa explained

This partial list of city nicknames in Iowa compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Iowa 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" 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 "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.

• Algona – Home of the World's Largest Cheeto^{[3] [4]}
• Cedar Rapids – The City of Five Seasons^{[3] [5]}
• Council Bluffs – Iowa's Leading Edge^[6]
• Des Moines – Hartford of the West^[7]
• Dubuque – Masterpiece on the Mississippi
• Dyersville – Farm Toy Capital of the World^[8]
• Earling - Progress Is Our Future
• Emmetsburg – Iowa's Irish Capital^[9]
• Fort Dodge – Mineral City^[10]
• Fort Madison – Pen City^[11]
• Grinnell – Jewel of the Prairie^[12]
• Keokuk – Gate City (reported in the 1880s)^[13]
• Knoxville – Sprint Car Capitol of the World
• Lake City – Everything But the Lake
• Le Mars – Ice Cream Capital of the World^{[14] [15]}
• Sioux City – Little Chicago^[16]
• Wyoming - Christmas City^[17]
• Villisca – Living with a Mystery^[18]

See also

• List of city nicknames in the United States

Notes and References

1. Muench, David "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts", December 1993, accessed April 10, 2007.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. http://www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html U.S. City Monikers
4. Mike Conklin, Iowa town's claim to fame: the `World's Largest Cheeto', Chicago Tribune, August 26, 2005
5. http://www.cedar-rapids.org/ City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
6. http://www.councilbluffsiowa.com/ Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce
7. Neal R. Peirce (1973), The Great Plains States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Nine Great Plains States, W. W. Norton & Company,, page 106
8. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/index.html Claims to Fame - Favorites
9. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/ethnic.html Claims to Fame - Ethnic Groups
10. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/rocks.html Claims to Fame - Rocks
11. https://archive.today/20120724142804/http://www.dailydem.com/articles/2011/01/21/news/news4.txt FM to remain Pen City
12. http://www.villageprofile.com/iowa/grinnell/01/topic.html Mayor's Letter, Grinnell, IA
13. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
14. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/food.html Claims to Fame - Food
15. Web site: The World Capital of Whatever. The New York Times. Harold . Faber. 1993-09-12. 2018-11-15.
16. Rebecca Sunshine Our Hometown: Downtown Sioux City, KTIV NewsChannel 4, July 20, 2008: "Sioux City for a long time was called Little Chicago because of its reputation during the prohibition years in particular for being quite the purveyor of alcoholic beverages."
17. Off the Map: 'Christmas City' rings in the season https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/off-the-map-christmas-city-rings-in-the-season-20141207 The Gazette (accessed July 13, 2019)
18. http://www.taglineguru.com/sloganvilleawards.html Sloganville, USA Awards For Best City Mottos & Monikers