List of city nicknames in Pennsylvania

This partial list of city nicknames in Pennsylvania compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities, boroughs, and towns in Pennsylvania 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"^[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. Many of the unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

A sign proclaiming Scranton as "The Electric City" overlooks Courthouse Square. The city got its moniker for being the site of the nation's first electric-powered streetcars.

• Allentown
  • Band City USA^[3]
  • Peanut City^[4]
  • The Queen City^[5][6]
  • Silk City^[7]
  • Truck Capital of the World^[8]
• Bethlehem – Christmas City, USA^[9]
• Butler – Birthplace of the Jeep^[10]
• Erie
  • The Flagship City^[11]
  • The Gem City^[11]
• Hanover – Snack Capital of the World^[12]
• Hershey
  • Chocolate Capital of the World^[13]
  • Chocolate Town^[14]
  • The Sweetest Place on Earth^[12][15]
• Indiana – Christmas Tree Capital of the World^[16][17]
• Johnstown
  • The Flood City^[18]
  • The Friendly City^[18]
• Lancaster – The Red Rose City^[19]
• New Castle – Fireworks Capital^[8]
• Philadelphia
  • The Athens of America – "References can be found as early as 1733 when the Library Company’s directors wrote, “May your Philadelphia be the future of Athens in America."^[20]
  • The Big Scrapple^[14]
  • The City of Brotherly Love^[14][21] – a literal translation of the city's name from the original Greek language
  • The City That Loves You Back^[22]
  • City of Homes^[21]
  • Filthadelphia or Filthydelphia^[23][24]
  • Killadelphia^[25]
  • Philly^[14]
  • Quaker City^[14][21]
  • The Workshop of the World^[26]
• Pittsburgh
  • Birmingham of America^[21]
  • The 'Burgh^[14]
  • The City of Bridges ^[27]
  • The City of Champions^[28][29][30]
  • Iron City^[14][21]
  • Shitsburgh – most famously used by actress Sienna Miller in a magazine interview^[31]
  • The Smoky City^[21]
  • The Steel City^[21]
• Punxsutawney – Weather Capital of the World^[32]
• Reading
  • Baseballtown^[33]
  • Pretzel Capital of the World^[13]
  • Pretzel City^[34]
• Scranton – The Electric City^[35]
• State College – Happy Valley^[36]
• Wilkes-Barre – Diamond City^[37]
• York – The White Rose City^[38]

See also

• List of city nicknames in the United States
• Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia

References

1. Muench, David "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts" 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, December 1993, accessed April 10, 2007.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. Salter, Rosa (April 20, 2003). "Two in tune with the times ** At 175, Allentown Band, America's oldest, preserves best of tradition". The Morning Call. pp. E.01.. "1967: Allentown named Band City-U.S.A"
4. Whelan, Frank (March 13, 2002). "Hamilton Street used to be thick with peanut shells ** And Allentown's Army Camp Crane once had a popular commander". The Morning Call. pp. B.04.. "Allentown's title as the Peanut City goes back to the late 19th and early 20th century when large amounts of them were eaten in the Lehigh Valley. From the 1880s to the 1920s, vendors lined Hamilton Street, singing jingles in Pennsylvania Dutch about the superior quality of their peanuts. Former Call-Chronicle Sunday editor John Y. Kohl recalled in 1967 that the peanuts were eaten mostly by young men and boys who would walk Hamilton Street on Saturday nights flirting with girls and 'throwing the shells about with complete abandon.' Sunday morning sidewalks were 'not quite ankle deep' in shells. Merchants would get up early to sweep them into the gutter so churchgoers would not have to wade through them.'"
5. "Queen City Daily Blog". from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
6. Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "'Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Queen City's origins as an Allentown nickname are obscure. It is believed to come from a turn-of-the-century competition hosted by the Allentown Chamber of Commerce. The winning entry was said to be Queen City."
7. Whelan, Frank (May 7, 1991). "Cement City' Moniker Is A Mystery American Heritage Says Label Was Allentown's". The Morning Call. pp. B.03.. "Silk City for example, is a throwback to the late 19th and early 20th century, when Allentown was known for its many silk mills. Although the last mill closed a few years ago, the name hangs on in the minds of older residents."
8. Claims to Fame - Products 2007-04-08 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
9. . Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
10. "Did You Know the Jeep Was Born in Our Own Backyard?". 24 July 2011. from the original on 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
11. . City of Erie. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
12. Claims to Fame - Food 2017-04-01 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
13. Faber, Harold (1993-09-12). "The World Capital of Whatever". The New York Times. from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
14. U.S. City Monikers 2014-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
15. Tagline Guru City Branding Survey 2011-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Tagline Guru website, accessed August 18, 2009
16. Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers Association 2011-11-02 at the Wayback Machine website, accessed December 21, 2008
17. History of Indiana County 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, IndianaPC.org website, accessed December 21, 2008
18. History & Heritage 2009-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, Johnstown & Cambria County Convention & Visitors Bureau website, accessed November 19, 2008
19. . City of Lancaster. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
20. "LCP Art". from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
21. Barry Popik, Smoky City 2017-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
22. "Our British-American Life:The City That Loves You Back". Sarah Stapley. from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
23. Gallma, James Matthew (2000). Receiving Erin's Children: Philadelphia, Liverpool, and the Irish Famine. University of North Carolina Press. p. 258. ISBN 9780807848456. from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
24. Silverstein, Michael (1990). The environmental factor: its impact on the future of the world economy and your investments. Longman Financial Services Publishing. ISBN 9780884629115. from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
25. Nazaryan, Alexander (12 March 2014). "The Streets of Killadelphia". Newsweek (published March 12, 2014). from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
26. "Philadelphia's Industrial History". from the original on 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2010-06-12.
27. Scarpaci, Joseph L; Kevin Joseph Patrick (2006). "Chapter 6: Pittsburgh, City of Bridges". Pittsburgh and the Appalachians: cultural and natural resources in a postindustrial age. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8229-4282-5. from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
28. O'Brien, Jim; Marty Wolfson (1980). Pittsburgh, the story of the city of champions: the '70s—a decade unmatched in the annals of sports. Wolfson Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0-916114-07-7.
29. Scarpaci, Joseph L; Kevin Joseph Patrick (2006). "Chapter 6: Pittsburgh, City of Bridges". Pittsburgh and the Appalachians: cultural and natural resources in a postindustrial age. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8229-4282-5. from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
30. Rossi, Rob (February 14, 2010). "Deadline-day deal? Not likely for Penguins". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
31. "Sienna Miller apologizes for dissing Pittsburgh". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
32. Claims to Fame - Weather 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
33. "Reading Fightins". from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
34. Kline, Dave (31 May 2017). "Mountain Folklore: Berks Country Fest is all about music, culture, food". Reading Eagle. from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
35. http://www.scrantonpa.gov/ 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2008-02-14.
36. . Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
37. . www.wilkes-barre.pa.us. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
38. "Did You Know - York County?". Susquehanna Style. 2014-05-30. from the original on 2017-05-06. Retrieved 2019-12-30.