List of city nicknames in Virginia explained

This partial list of city nicknames in Virginia compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in the U.S. state of Virginia 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 establish a civic identity, help outsiders recognize a community, attract 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. This 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.

• Ashland – The Center of the Universe^[3]
• Bristol – The Birthplace of Country Music (shares this nickname with Bristol, Tennessee)^[4]
• Charlottesville
  • Cville
• Colonial Beach – Oyster Capital of the Potomac^[5]
• Fredericksburg
  • America's Most Historic City^[6]
  • Where History Never Gets Old^[7]
• Harrisonburg – The Friendly City^[8]
• Honaker – Redbud Capital of the World^[9]
• Lexington
  • The Paris of Southwest Virginia ^[10]
  • Home of Hamric House ^[11]
• Lynchburg
  • City of Seven Hills^[12]
  • The Hill City^{[12] [13]}
• Newport News
  • Bad News
• Norfolk – Life, Celebrated Daily
  • Mermaid City, USA
• Portsmouth – P-Town^[14]
• Radford – The New River City^[15]
  • • Richmond Capital of the South^[16]
  • The River City^{[17] [18]}
  • RVA^[19]
  • Dirt City
• Roanoke
  • Magic City^[20]
  • Star City of the South^[21]
• Virginia Beach
  • Neptune City
  • The Resort City
  • VA Beach
• Williamsburg
  • The Burg^[22]
  • The Colonial Capital^[23]
  • Thrilliamsburg
  • Billysburg
• Winchester – Apple Capital of the World^[24]

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. Web site: Drake . Victoria . 2020-04-28 . The Center of the Universe . 2025-01-11 . Virginia Living . en-US.
4. http://www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/ Birthplace of Country Music
5. Web site: Wanda. McKinney. Our Favorite Town Slogans. https://web.archive.org/web/20071107124712/http://www.southernliving.com/southern/features/southerners/article/0%2C28012%2C1044912%2C00.html. 2007-11-07. Southern Living. April 2005.
6. Book: Goolrick, John. T. . Fredericksburg: America's Most Historic City . 2006 . Kessinger Publishing, LLC . 978-1-4286-5422-8 .
7. http://www.taglineguru.com/citymottosmonikers.html Tagline Guru City Branding Survey
8. https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/at-a-glance
9. http://www.honakerva.com/ Town of Honaker
10. https://lexingtonvirginia.com/
11. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Streets_of_Lexington_Virginia.html?id=FCkTAAAAYAAJ
12. http://www.lynchburgonline.com/aboutlynchburg.html
13. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
14. https://www.pilotonline.com/news/columns/article_1728ae0c-9e83-5d36-b1d5-ca1e5a12e36e.html
15. Web site: Radford City . 2004-12-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041130092801/http://www.radford.va.us/ . 2004-11-30 . Official nickname on website
16. Web site: Civil War Richmond – The South's Capital. Virginia.org. 2013-08-21. 2016-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20160111050807/http://www.virginia.org/Listings/SuggestedItinerary/CivilWarRichmondTheSouthsCapital/. live.
17. http://www.rivercityrichmond.com/ River City Magazine
18. http://www.discoverrichmond.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_DRMGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784096701&path=!theme&parentid=1149189681664 History: River City Observed
19. Web site: Archived copy . 2018-03-18 . 2012-01-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120103103032/http://www.richmondgov.com/ . live .
20. http://www.calea.org/Online/newsletter/No89/aw54.htm Case 54: Roanoke, Virginia
21. http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/N25DWPNC572LWODEN The Roanoke Star
22. Web site: William & Mary Law School - Our Town - the 'Burg!. law.wm.edu. 2011-11-03. 2011-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005231614/http://law.wm.edu/about/ourtown/index.php. live.
23. Web site: Capitol of Colonial Williamsburg. www.history.org. 2011-11-03. 2015-03-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20150327081853/http://www.history.org/almanack/places/hb/hbcap.cfm. live.
24. Web site: The World Capital of Whatever. The New York Times. Harold. Faber. 1993-09-12. 2018-11-15. 2008-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20080418221645/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9F0CE6DC1430F931A2575AC0A965958260. live.