Decatur, Alabama - Nicknames

Nicknames

• "A Grand City on a Charming Scale" - The official Decatur City tag line adopted in 2005.
• The River City - So named because of the Tennessee River that flows on the northern edge of town and that inspires festivals and culture in the city.
• The Chicago of the South - Given to Decatur in the 1880s by a company formed to create a planned community, "New Decatur," just south of the original Decatur. At that time the city was home to several industries, including a boxcar plant, and home to the huge Louisville & Nashville railyards.
• "Ballooning Capital of Alabama" - Bestowed by the Alabama Legislature because of the annual Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic, which brings over 50 hot air balloons to Point Mallard Park. Begun in 1978, it is one of the oldest hot-air balloon rallies in the U.S.
• The Heart of the Valley - Because of Decatur's location at the very center of the Alabama portion of the Tennessee River and Tennessee Valley.
• "Home of America's First Wave Pool" - Decatur is home to the first wave pool ever built in the United States at the popular Point Mallard Aquatic Center.
• "Home of Meow Mix" - Decatur is home to one of the Meow Mix production facilities, and a sign reading "Decatur: Home of Meow Mix" is visible on one of the city's buildings from the Tennessee River bridge.
• D-Rock or The Dec - nickname given by high school students inside Decatur. Many people outside of Decatur also refer to the city with this nickname.
• "Hub of the South" - Decatur is in a convenient location nearby many important southern cities.
• "City of Opportunity" - a popular name in the 1950s and 1960s due to the city's rapid growth during that era.
• "Decatur where it's Greater/ Greater Decatur" - a more recent phrase used by people in the area, sometimes in joking by people in larger cities such as Huntsville.