List of city nicknames in Florida

This mural in Tarpon Springs illustrates the sponge-diving activity that gives the city its nickname of "Sponge Capital of the World."

This partial list of city nicknames in Florida compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Florida are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to 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.

• Apopka - Indoor Foliage Capital of the World^[3]
• Aventura - The City of Excellence^[4]
• Bartow
  • City of Oaks and Azaleas^[5]
  • The City of Oaks^[6]
  • The 'Tow^[7]
• Belle Glade - Muck City^[8]
• Boca Raton - A City for All Seasons^[9]
• Cape Coral - Waterfront Wonderland^[10]
• Clewiston - America's Sweetest Town^[11]
• Coconut Creek - Butterfly Capital of the World^[12]
• Coral Gables - The City Beautiful^[13]
• Coral Springs - The City in the Country^[14]
• DeLand - The Athens of Florida^[15]
• Deltona - Florida's Bright Spot^[16]
• Eustis - The City of Bright Tomorrows^[17]
• Fernandina Beach - Shark's Tooth Capital of the World^[18]
• Fort Lauderdale - Venice of America^[19]
• Fort Myers - The City of Palms^[20]
• Fort Pierce - The Sunshine City^[21]
• Fort Walton Beach
  • Billfish Capital of the World^[22]
  • Emerald Coast^[23]
• Gainesville
  • Hogtown^[24]
  • The Tree City^[25]
  • Rainsville
  • Gator Country^[26]
• Haines City - The Heart of Florida^[27]
• Hialeah - City of Progress^[28]
• Jacksonville
  • Jax^[29]
  • Where Florida Begins^[30]
  • Bold New City of the South^[31]
• Key West
  • Conch Republic^[32]
  • Southernmost City In The Continental United States^[33]
• Largo
  • Dime City^[34]
• Melbourne - The Harbor City^[35]
• Miami - The Magic City^[36]
• Ocala
  • The Brick City^[37]
  • Horse Capital of the World (with Marion County) - the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, obtained the trademark on behalf of Ocala and Marion County in the late 1990s. The title is disputed with Lexington, Kentucky, which also claims to be the "Horse Capital of the World."^[38][39]
• Ocoee - The Center of Good Living^[40]
• Okeechobee - Speckled Perch Capital of the World^[41]
• Orlando - The City Beautiful (official)^[42]
• Ormond Beach - Birthplace of Speed^[43]
• Panama City Beach - The World's Most Beautiful Beaches^[44]
• Pensacola - City of Five Flags^[45]
• Plant City
  • Strawberry Capital of the World^[41]
  • Winter Strawberry Capital of the World^[46]
• Port St. Lucie
  • PSL^[47]
  • A City for All Ages^[48][49]
• St. Petersburg
  • Always in Season^[50]
  • The Burg
  • Sunshine City^[51]
  • St. Pete^[52][53]
• Sarasota - Heaven's Waiting Room^[54]
• Sebring - City on the Circle^[55]
• Stuart - Sailfish Capital of the World^[56][57]
• Tallahassee
  • Tallanasty^[58][59]
• Tampa
  • The Big Guava^[60]
  • Cigar City^[61]
  • Lightning Capital of the World^[51][62]
  • Cigar Capital of the World (Ybor City neighborhood)^[63]
  • America's Next Greatest City^[64]
  • City of Champions^[65][66]
• Tarpon Springs - Sponge Capital of the World^[67]
• Venice - Shark Tooth Capital of the World^[68]
• West Palm Beach - Orchid City^[69]

See also

• List of city nicknames in the United States
• List of cities in Florida

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 :), MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. "City of Apopka - History". City of Apopka. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
4. "City of Aventura, FL : Home". City of Aventura. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
5. "Home Page, City of Bartow". City of Bartow. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
6. "City of Bartow, Brochure 1920's". University of Florida. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
7. "Tour de Tow". The News Chief. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
8. Adelson, Eric. "The Chase". ESPN The Magazine. ESPN. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
9. Dicky Galore and Joseph Covino, Jr., Sexcapades by the Decades: The Twenties (2007), p. 70.
10. Escape from Cape Coma
11. City of Clewiston website, accessed October 5, 2010
12. Claims to Fame - Animals, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
13. City of Coral Gables website, accessed September 13, 2011
14. City of Coral Springs History
15. 14th Annual DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts, DeLand Fall Festival. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Conveniently located between Orlando and Daytona Beach, DeLand is known as the "Athens of Florida" because of its cultural and educational history and people."
16. City of Deltona, FL. City of Deltona Government. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
17. 2006 Outgoing Mayor's Message, Eustis, Florida. Accessed June 13, 2007. "As we bring on the challenges of 2007, may Eustis remain the City of Bright Tomorrows, the best City in Lake County."
18. Wanda McKinney, Our Favorite Town Slogans, Southern Living, April 2005
19. About Fort Lauderdale, City of Fort Lauderdale. Accessed June 13, 2007. "The ideal place to live, to visit and to relocate a business. Listed below are pages to help you learn more about the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida — Venice of America."
20. The City of Palms, Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce. Accessed June 13, 2007. "These magnificent Royal Palms, some towering at 75 feet, give the City of Palms its nickname."
22. Claims to Fame - Fish, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
23. Visitor and Relocation Information, Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce website (accessed January 23, 2008)
24. U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
25. John Howells, Where to Retire: America's Best and Most Affordable Places (2006), p. 31.
26. Barbie Baldwin, Underground gourmet: restaurants, recipes & reflections (1983), p. 181.
27. City of Haines City, The Heart if Florida, Haines City, Florida. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Haines City is conveniently located in Central Florida and is referred to as the Heart of Florida due to its location."
28. History of the City of Hialeah, Hialeah, Florida. Accessed June 13, 2007. "Hialeah -- The City of Progress"
29. Wentworth, Harold and Stuart Berg Flexner. (1967) Dictionary of American Slang. Maruzen Asian Edition. Thomas Y. Crowell Company. P. 286
30. Jacksonville. Where Florida Begins "Visitor Website to Jacksonville".
31. History of the "Bold New City " nickname RelocateAmerica.com
32. "In Key West, climate, culture entice second-home buyers". ABC News. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
33. "City of Key West, Florida". Key West Government. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
34. "Dime City Cycles". Dime City Cycles 57000 Facebook Likes, world-renowned cafe racer site. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
35. Nannie Kate, Marinas Near Melbourne, Florida, USA Today Travel Tips, accessed November 21, 2011
36. About the City of Miami
38. Tom LaMarra, Kentucky and Florida in 'Horse Capital' Battle, The Blood-Horse (March 28, 2002).
39. "The Horse Capital of the World". Ocala / Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
40. New Resident Information, accessed April 12, 2007. "Welcome to the City of Ocoee! We are glad you have chosen to move to The Center of Good Living."
41. The World Capital of Whatever, The New York Times by Harold Faber, September 12, 1993.
42. Information on things to do in the Orlando area, accessed April 12, 2007. Slogan is in City seal.
43. Mayor's Welcome, Ormond Beach website, accessed July 4, 2008
44. Lawlor, Julia. "HAVENS |Panama City Beach, Fla.; A Vacation Town Tries to Take Off Its Blue Collar", The New York Times, January 5, 2007, accessed April 12, 2007. "LIKE a supermodel showing off her good side, Panama City Beach is not shy about flaunting its most valuable asset. The World's Most Beautiful Beaches, boasts the sign at the end of Hathaway Bridge, which leads into the city."
45. CITY OF FIVE FLAGS, accessed April 12, 2007. "Known as the "City of Five Flags," Pensacola has been under the rule of the Spanish, the British, the French, the Confederacy and the United States since the first conquistadors landed in America in 1559."
46. Claims to Fame - Agriculture, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
50. St Petersburg, accessed April 12, 2007.
51. Claims to Fame - Weather, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
52. The City of St. Petersburg, Official Website of the City of St. Petersburg - stpete.org, accessed January 27, 2011.
53. Jenny Deam, Clearwater Times (St. Petersburg Times)"St. Pete Beach begins to address name change", accessed January 27, 2011
54. Wright, I.M. The Stereotypical American: The Disconnected Society. Lulu. p. 12. ISBN 9781105404665. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
55. "DowntownSebring.Com". Retrieved July 26, 2014. Sebring was given this nickname because in the center of the city is a circular park and all roads lead in and out from this circle like the spokes of a wagon wheel
56. Laura Bergheim, An American Festival of World Capitals: From Garlic Queens to Cherry Parades (1997). John Wiley & Sons: p. 39.
57. Douglas Waitley, Best Backroads of Florida: Coasts, Glades, and Groves (2001). Pineapple Press: p. 35.
58. Alicia Deer, 'Tallanasty' no more: What Tallahassee's beautification means, FSUView (Nov. 20, 2013).
59. Nicholas Gonzalez, Busting the myth of Tallanasty, FSU News (Jan. 9, 2012).
60. Barry Popik, The Big Guava, April 3, 2005, discussion of nicknames' history
61. Barry Popik, Cigar City, August 15, 2006, discussion of nickname's history
62. Porter, Arthur. "Looking back on fond years in Tampa Bay as the green, green grass of home beckons", Tampa Bay Business Journal, January 26, 2007, accessed April 12, 2007. "I will have been in Tampa for four years in May, and I remember my first day -- one of the typical Tampa days in May.... "Welcome to the lightning capital of the world," my new colleagues declared."
63. Ybor City: Cigar Capital of the World, National Park Service, accessed April 12, 2007.
64. Leo, Peter. "'America's finest city' takes a fall", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 6, 2005, accessed April 12, 2007. "Which brings us to less-humble San Diego. It had the nerve to tout itself as "America's Finest City."... This would seem to present an opportunity for Tampa, which bills itself as "America's Next Greatest City."
65. Tampa, FL: City "sports" all kinds of titles, About.com, accessed August 7, 2011.
66. Tampa Bay: City of Champions, Tampa Bay & Company, accessed August 7, 2011.
67. Claims to Fame - Products, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
69. Cynthia Thuma, Palm Beach in Vintage Postcards (2001), p 32.

External links

• a list of American and a few Canadian nicknames
• U.S. cities list