List of city nicknames in Minnesota explained

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" 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.

• 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)
• 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^[15]
• Minneapolis
  • City of Flour and Sawdust (reported in 1883)^[16]
  • City of Lakes^[17]
  • Mill City^[18]
  • The Mini Apple
  • Murderapolis^[19]
  • The Twin Cities (with St. Paul)
• Montgomery – Kolacky Capital of the World
• Morris – Motown
• 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]
• Richfield – Poorfield^[24]
• Robbinsdale – Birdtown
• Rochester – Med City^[25]
• St. Cloud – Granite City^[26]
• St. Louis Park – St. Jewish Park^[27]
• Saint Paul
  • Pigs Eye (the city's original name – see Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant for details)
  • Hockeytown^[28]
  • Saintly City^[29]
  • The Twin Cities (with Minneapolis)
• Stillwater – The Birthplace of Minnesota^[30]
• Warroad – Hockeytown^[31]
• Worthington – Turkey Capital of the World^[32]

See also

• List of city nicknames in the United States

Notes and References

1. Web site: Muench, David . Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts . University of Wisconsin Extension . December 1993 . April 10, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130309175857/http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/economies/communityindicators/communityslogans.pdf . March 9, 2013.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :), MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/ City of Anoka Web Site
4. http://cityofalbertlea.org/ City of Albert Lea website
5. http://www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html U.S. City Monikers
6. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/index.html Claims to Fame – Favorites
7. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/geography.html Claims to Fame – Activities
8. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/food.html Claims to Fame – Food
9. http://www.eskie.net/superior/twinports/ Twin Ports: Duluth/Superior
10. Web site: Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce – City of Elk River . www.elkriverchamber.org . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051220145504/http://www.elkriverchamber.org/city.aspx . 2005-12-20.
11. http://www.hanovermn.org/ City of Hanover Web Site
12. http://www.hermantown.mn.k12.us/ Hermantown School District Web Site
13. https://web.archive.org/web/20070421021404/http://irvineworldnews.com/Astories/febs22/cityside.htm
14. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/energy.html Claims to Fame – Energy
15. http://www.ci.madison.mn.us/ City of Madison, Minnesota – Welcome to the City of Madison, Minnesota
16. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
17. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/ City of Minneapolis, Minnesota – Official Web Site
18. As per the city history book, The Mill City; or the Mill City Museum
19. http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/826rvcvn.asp Return to Murderapolis
20. http://www.mtniron.com/ Welcome To Mountain Iron
21. http://www.newulm.com/about/history.html The History Of New Ulm
22. Web site: Visiting Northfield: Two Colleges, One Town . 2011-11-03 . 2009-01-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090111181726/http://www.visitingnorthfield.com/pages/two_colleges.php . dead .
23. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/fish.html Claims to Fame – Fish
24. https://niketalk.com/threads/official-political-discussion-thread.509493/page-9080 Thread in General
25. Numerous organizations, including Med City Mobility, Med City Marathon, Med City Driving School, and Med City Limousines
26. http://www.stclouddowntown.com/locatebusiness_labor.php4 Downtown St. Cloud
27. as per former resident Al Franken
28. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_farber/12/04/hockeytown1210/3.html SI.com – Writers – In Search of... Hockeytown U.S.A.
29. https://web.archive.org/web/20121021124131/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-138622370.html night out; NIGHTWATCH; Sinning in the Saintly City.(SCENE) – Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
30. Web site: City of Stillwater -- . www.ci.stillwater.mn.us . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070426072643/http://www.ci.stillwater.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B3BBA00B2-F671-46D5-BF5F-6EBCBAED463D%7D . 2007-04-26.
31. Fee, Kevin (May 10, 1999) Detroit Snatches 'Hockeytown' Name from Warroad, Minn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
32. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/birds.html Claims to Fame – Birds