List of U.S. State Nicknames - State Nicknames

State Nicknames

State Nickname(s)
Alabama
(No official nickname)
  • Cotton Plantation State
  • Cotton State
  • Heart of Dixie
  • Lizard State
  • Yellowhammer State
  • Camellia State
Alaska
  • Great Land (previously used on license plates)
  • Land of the Midnight Sun
  • Land of the Noonday Moon
  • The Last Frontier (presently used on license plates)
  • Seward's Folly (named after U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward)
  • Seward's Ice Box, Icebergia, Polaria, Walrussia, and Johnson's Polar Bear Garden were satirical names coined by members of the U.S. Congress during debate over the Alaska Purchase
Arizona
  • Apache State
  • Aztec State
  • Baby State (during the 47 years that Arizona was the newest state in the Union)
  • Copper State
  • Grand Canyon State (currently used on license plates)
  • Italy of America
  • Sand Hill State
  • Sunset State
  • Sweetheart State
  • Valentine State (Arizona gained statehood on February 14, 1912)
Arkansas
  • Bear State
  • Bowie State
  • Hot Springs State
  • Land of Opportunity (former official nickname; previously used on license plates)
  • The Natural State (currently used on license plates)
  • Razorback State
  • Toothpick State
  • Wonder State
  • Diamond State
California
  • El Dorado State
  • The Golden State (previously used on license plates)
  • The Land of Sunshine and Opportunity
  • Golden West
  • Grape State
  • Land of Milk and Honey
  • Land of Fruits and Nuts
  • Where Stars Are Buried
  • The Cereal Bowl of the Nation
  • The Eureka State
  • The Bear State (or Republic)
  • The Sunshine State (in disuse) (c.f. FL)
Colorado
  • Buffalo Plains State (in disuse)
  • Centennial State (previously used on license plates)
  • Colorful Colorado (previously used on license plates)
  • Columbine State
  • Highest State
  • Lead State (in disuse)
  • Mother of Rivers
  • Rocky Mountain Empire
  • Rocky Mountain State (in disuse)
  • Silver State (in disuse; see Nevada)
  • Switzerland of America
Connecticut
  • Constitution State
  • Nutmeg State
  • Charter Oak State
Delaware
  • Chemical Capital
  • Corporate Capital (due to the state's business-friendly laws)
  • Diamond State (allusion to the state flag)
  • Blue Hen State or Blue Hen Chicken State
  • The First State (Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution; currently used on license plates)
  • Home of Tax Free Shopping
  • New Sweden
  • Peach State
  • Small Wonder
  • Uncle Sam's Pocket Handkerchief
District of Columbia
  • A Capital City (previously used on license plates)
  • The Federal City
  • Taxation without Representation (currently used on License Plates)
  • The District
Florida
  • Alligator State
  • Citrus State
  • Everglade State
  • Flower State
  • God's Waiting Room
  • Gulf State
  • Hurricane State
  • La Florida
  • Manatee State
  • Orange State
  • Peninsula State or Peninsular State
  • Sunshine State (currently used on license plates)
  • Tropical State
Georgia
  • Peach State (previously used on license plates)
  • Cracker State — Along with Florida, Georgia had been called "The Cracker State" in earlier times, perhaps a derogatory term that referred to immigrants, called "crackers," from the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. See also Atlanta Crackers: Origin of the name
  • Empire State of the South — Refers to economic leadership
  • Yankee-land of the South: Similarly to the above nickname, "Yankee-land of the South" speaks to industrial and economic development in the south. This nickname may be used in a derogatory sense.
  • Goober State — Refers to peanuts, the official state crop.
Hawaii
  • Aloha State (currently used on license plates)
  • Paradise of the Pacific
  • Pineapple State
  • Rainbow State
  • Youngest State
Idaho
  • Gem State
  • Gem of the Mountains
  • Little Ida
  • Spud State
  • Potatonia
Illinois
  • Land of Lincoln (currently used on license plates)
  • Prairie State
  • Corn State
  • Inland Empire State
  • Sucker State (possibly named for a type of fish)
  • Garden of the West
  • Baja Wisconsin
Indiana
  • Crossroads of America (previously used on license plates)
  • Hoosier State
  • Hospitality State
Iowa
  • Hawkeye State
  • Land of the Rolling Prairie
  • Tall Corn State
Kansas
  • America's Bread Basket
  • Sunflower State
  • Wheat State (previously used on license plates)
  • Home of Beautiful Women
Kentucky
  • Bluegrass State (currently used on license plates)
  • Corn-cracker State (reported in 1881)
  • The Dark and Bloody Ground State (an allusion to battles between the Creek, Shawnee, Chickasaw, and Cherokee tribes)
  • Hemp State
  • Tobacco State
Louisiana
  • Bayou State (previously used on license plates)
  • Child of the Mississippi
  • Creole State
  • Fisherman's Paradise
  • Holland of America
  • Pelican State
  • Sportsman's Paradise (currently used on license plates)
  • Sugar State
Maine
  • Vacationland (currently used on license plates)
  • Pine Tree State
Maryland
  • America in Miniature
  • Chesapeake State
  • Cockade State
  • Crab State
  • Free State
  • Monumental State
  • Old Line State
  • Oyster State
  • Queen State
  • Terrapin State
Massachusetts
  • Baked Bean State
  • Codfish State (formerly represented on licence plates by a codfish)
  • The Bay State
  • The Commonwealth
  • Old Colony State
  • Pilgrim State
  • The Spirit of America (currently used on licence plates)
  • Taxachusetts (colloquial)
Michigan
  • The Great Lakes State (previously used on license plates)
  • Pure Michigan (currently used to promote tourism and on highway signs)
  • Spectacular Peninsulas (currently used on license plates)
  • Mitten State
  • Winter Water Wonderland (previously used on license plates)
  • Wolverine State
  • The World's Motor Capital (previously used on licese plates)
  • America's High Five
Minnesota
  • Butter Country
  • Gopher State
  • Land of 10,000 Lakes ("10,000 Lakes" currently used on license plates)
  • Land of Lakes
  • Land of Sky-Blue Waters
  • North Star State
  • State of Hockey
  • Vikings State
Mississippi
  • Hospitality State (previously used on license plates)
  • Magnolia State
  • The South's Warmest Welcome
  • The Birthplace of America's Music (currently being used on license plates)
Missouri
  • Bullion State
  • Cave State
  • Gateway State
  • Bellwether State
  • Lead State
  • Ozark State
  • Puke State (reported in 1881)
  • Sleepy State
  • Show-Me State (currently used on license plates)
Montana
  • Big Sky Country (currently used on license plates)
  • The Last Best Place
  • Treasure State (previously used on license plates)
Nebraska
  • Beef State (previously used on license plates)
  • Cornhusker State (previously used on license plates)
  • Tree Planter's State
  • Land of Dustin's Home
Nevada
  • Battle Born State (refers to the fact that Nevada joined the Union during the Civil War)
  • Sagebrush State
  • Silver State (currently used on license plates)
New Hampshire
  • Granite State
  • Mother of Rivers
  • White Mountain State
New Jersey
  • Garden State (currently used on license plates)
  • The Crossroads of the Revolution (previously used on license plates)
  • The Tomato State
New Mexico
  • Cactus State
  • The Colorful State
  • Land of Enchantment (currently used on license plates)
  • Land of Sunshine (predates "Land of Enchantment"; this earlier nickname highlighted the large percentage of sunshine received statewide)
  • New Andalusia
  • The Outer Space State
  • The Tex-Mex State
  • The Spanish State
New York
  • The Empire State (currently used on license plates)
North Carolina
  • Old North State
  • Tar Heel State
  • Turpentine State
  • Variety Vacationland
  • Rip Van Winkle State
  • Land of the Sky
  • First in Flight State (currently used on license plates)
North Dakota
  • Flickertail State
  • Peace Garden State (currently used on license plates)
  • Rough Rider State
  • Sioux State
Ohio
  • Buckeye State
  • Birthplace of Aviation (currently used on license plates)
  • Mother of Modern Presidents
  • The Heart of it All
Oklahoma
  • Native America (currently used on license plates)
  • Land of the Red Man
  • Sooner State
Oregon
  • Beaver State
  • Union State
  • Pacific Wonderland (previously used on license plates)
  • Sunset State
Pennsylvania
  • Liberty Bell State
  • Independence State
  • Keystone State
  • Quaker State
  • Toll Booth State
Puerto Rico
  • Isla del Encanto ("Island of Enchantment")
  • Borinquen (name given by indigenous people, the Tainos)
  • The Shining Star of the Caribbean
  • Progress Island
Rhode Island
  • Little Rhody
  • Ocean State (currently used on license plates)
South Carolina
  • Palmetto State
  • Sandlapper State
  • Iodine Products State (in disuse) (previously used on license plates)
South Dakota
  • Artesian State
  • Blizzard State
  • Coyote State
  • Land of Infinite Variety
  • Mount Rushmore State (officially adopted in 1980 in place of the former nickname of Sunshine State)
  • Sunshine State
Tennessee
  • Big Bend State (refers to the Tennessee River)
  • Butternut State (refers to the tan color of the uniforms worn by Tennessee soldiers in the American Civil War)
  • Hog and Hominy State
  • The Mother of Southwestern Statesmen
  • Volunteer State (currently used on license plates)
Texas
  • Friendship State
  • Lone Star State (currently used on license plates)
  • Chili State
Utah
  • Beehive State
  • Mormon State
  • Friendly State (in disuse) (formerly used on license plates)
  • Greatest Snow on Earth (formerly used on all license plates; now an alternate slogan on license plates alongside the state's current tourism slogan, "Life Elevated")
Vermont
  • Green Mountain State (currently used on license plates)
Virginia
  • Mother of Presidents
  • The Old Dominion
  • The Commonwealth
Washington
  • Evergreen State (currently used on license plates)
  • Apple State
West Virginia
  • Mountain State (previously used on license plates)
  • Panhandle State
Wisconsin
  • America's Dairyland (currently used on license plates)
  • Cheese State
  • Badger State
Wyoming
  • Cowboy State
  • Equality State
  • Park State
  • Forever West (On highway welcome signs)

Read more about this topic:  List Of U.S. State Nicknames

Famous quotes containing the word state:

    “A set of ideas, a point of view, a frame of reference is in space only an intersection, the state of affairs at some given moment in the consciousness of one man or many men, but in time it has evolving form, virtually organic extension. In time ideas can be thought of as sprouting, growing, maturing, bringing forth seed and dying like plants.”
    —John Dos Passos (1896–1970)