List of U.S. state and territory nicknames

Official nicknames are highlighted in bold. A state nickname should not be confused with an official state motto.

 State,federal district,or territory  Nickname(s) Alabama the Beautiful
Cotton Plantation State
Cotton State
 Heart of Dixie (used on license plates)
 Lizard StateIntroduction to Alabama, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
Sweet Home Alabama
 Yellowhammer State  Land of the Midnight Sun
 Land of the Noonday Moon
 The Last Frontier (used on license plates)The Last Frontier State, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
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 Motu o Fiafiaga (a Samoan phrase; in English, it is "Islands of Paradise") (used on American Samoa license plates)http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/PA_AMSA.html Worldlicenseplates.com. American Samoa. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
Football Island[s]"American Samoa Facts". Factretriever.com. Retrieved November 24, 2017.  Apache State
Aztec State
Baby State (because Arizona is the newest contiguous state in the Union)
 Copper State
 Grand Canyon State (used on license plates)Introduction to Arizona, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.Ariz. HB 2549 Officially adopted by Arizona on February 14, 2011
Italy of America
Sand Hill State
Sunset State
Sweetheart State (see below)
Valentine State (Arizona gained statehood on February 14, 1912) Bear State
Bowie State
Hot Springs State
 Land of Opportunity (former official nickname; previously used on license plates)
 The Natural State (used on license plates)Arkansas § 1-4-106 - State nickname Retrieved February 28, 2011
 Razorback Crystal State
Toothpick StateIntroduction to Arkansas, US States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
 Wonder State  El Dorado State
 The Golden StateCalifornia Government Code Section 420.75 Retrieved February 28, 2011 (previously used on license plates) Buffalo Plains State (no longer used)
Centennial State (previously used on license plates. Colorado was admitted to the Union one hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.)
Colorful Colorado Used on welcome signs since 1950 (previously used on license plates)
Columbine State
Highest State
Lead State (no longer used)
Mother of Rivers
Rocky Mountain EmpireDenver, Colorado  (no longer used)
Rocky Mountain State (no longer used)
Silver State (no longer used; see Nevada)
Ski Country USA
Switzerland of AmericaIntroduction to Colorado, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009. Constitution State (official, used on license plates)Conn. Stat. Sec. 3-110a, retrieved November 4, 2013
Nutmeg State
Provision State
Blue Law State
Freestone State
Land of Steady Habits Chemical Capital of the World (due to one time being the corporate headquarters for several international chemical companies.)
Corporate Capital (due to the state's business-friendly incorporation laws)
Diamond State (Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have referred to Delaware as being like a diamond – small in size but great in value)
Blue Hen State or Blue Hen Chicken StateBarry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
 The First StateDelaware Code Title 29 Section 318 retrieved on February 28, 2011 (Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution; used on license plates)
Peach StateIntroduction to Delaware, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009. (no longer used; see Georgia)
 Small Wonder  Nation's CapitalFarhi, Paul. (July 30, 2010). After initial obscurity, 'The DMV' nickname for Washington area picks up speed. Washington Post. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
 DMV (nickname for the broader metropolitan area of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia)
 Inside the Beltway
 Chocolate CityAlligator State
 Everglade StateIntroduction to Florida, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
 Flower State
Gulf State
Gunshine State 
 Orange State
 Peninsula State or Peninsular State
 Plywood State
 Sunshine State (used on license plates)  Peach State (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 — Georgia is the largest Southern state in land area east of the Mississippi and was the leading industrial state of the Old South.
 Goober State — Refers to peanuts, the official state crop.
 State of Adventure (on highway welcome signs) Tano y Chamorro (Land of the Chamorro)https://www.visittheusa.com/state/guam Guam (Visittheusa.com). Retrieved November 24, 2017. (used on Guam license plates)http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/PA_GUAM.html Worldlicenseplates.com. Guam. Retrieved July 7, 2018.http://www.andersen.af.mil/News/Articles/Article/754311/driven-by-island-heritage-guam-native-serves-country-community-family/  Driven by island heritage, Guam native serves country, community, family. Arielle Vasquez. May 8, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
Hub of the Pacific
Gateway to Micronesia  Aloha State (officially the "popular" name, used on license plates)Introduction to Hawaii, 50 States.
 Paradise of the Pacific
 Pineapple State
 Rainbow State
 Youngest State
 808 State (colloquial, refers to the state's area code.)808 State Frequently Asked Questions: Where did 808 State get their name from? , 808 State Official Website.808 State Update, Talk Radio Hawaii Gem State
 Gem of the MountainsIntroduction to Idaho, 50 States.
 Little Ida
 Spud State  Land of Lincoln (used on license plates)
 Prairie State
 Corn StateIntroduction to Illinois, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
 Garden of the West  Hoosier State (Used at various times on license plates)The unofficial sobriquet of the State of Indiana has given rise to the humorous constructions Hoosierana (the land of Hoosiers; see uses in Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame  and by sports journalist Frank DeFord) and Hoosierstan (the place of Hoosiers). (Hoosier is also the official demonym of a resident of Indiana)
 Crossroads of America (Also used at various times on license plates and used on highway welcome signs)  Hawkeye State   America's Heartland (previously used on Licence Plates)
 Central State
 Dorothy's Home
 Free State
 Midway USA (previously used on Kansas Licence Plates)
 Sunflower State
 Wheat State (previously used on license plates)  Bluegrass State (used on license plates)Introduction to Kentucky, 50 States.
 Corn-cracker State (reported in 1881) (corn-cracker – the nickname of a Kentucky man; pejorative)
 The Dark and Bloody Ground State (an allusion to battles between the Creek, Shawnee, Chickasaw, and Cherokee tribes)
 Hemp State
 Tobacco State  Bayou State (previously used on license plates)
 Creole State
 Pelican State
 Sportsman's Paradise (used on license plates)  Pine Tree State (co-official with Vacationland)
  Vacationland  (used on license plates) 
 Lumber State  America in MiniatureJudy Colbert, Off the Beaten Path: Maryland and Delaware, 8th ed., 2007, .
 Chesapeake State
 Cockade State
 Free State
 Monumental State
 Old Line State
 Oyster State
 Queen State
 Terrapin State  Baked Bean State
 Codfish State (formerly represented on license plates by a codfish)
 The Bay StateIntroduction to Massachusetts, 50 States, retrieved April 24, 2009.
 Old Colony StateMassachusetts (state, United States), Britannica Online, retrieved April 24, 2009.
 Pilgrim State
 The Spirit of America (used on license plates)
 Taxachusetts (colloquial)Andrew Ryan,
Report: 'Taxachusetts' label remains part of Massachusetts' past, Boston Globe, April 6, 2007.Daniel J. Flynn, 'Taxachusetts' no more?, Forbes, October 22, 2008.'Taxachusetts' Voters May Eliminate State Income Tax, Fox News, October 7, 2008.Michael D. Shear, Giuliani Backers Attack 'Taxachusetts Romney' , The Washington Post, December 12, 2007.Slate's Chatterbox: The Myth of 'Taxachusetts', National Public Radio, October 15, 2004.  The Great Lakes State (previously used on license plates)
 Water Wonderland and Water-Winter Wonderland (previously used on license plates)
 The Wolverine State
 The Mitten State   Gopher State
Land of 10,000 Lakes ("10,000 Lakes" used on license plates)
 New England of the West
 North Star State
 State of HockeyJess Myer

s, Hockey roots run deep in Minnesota, ESPN.com, February 10, 2004
 "Minne(snow)ta"
 Bread and Butter State  Hospitality State (previously used on license plates)
 Magnolia State
 The Birthplace of America's Music (being used on license plates)
 The Bayou State  Bullion State
 Show-Me State (used on license plates)
Gateway to the West
Lead State 
Ozark State
Mother of the West
Iron Mountain State
Pennsylvania of the West
Cave State   Big Sky Country (previously used on license plates)
 The Last Best PlaceIn Montana, a Popular Expression Is Taken Off the Endangered List New York Times, August 17, 2008; Retrieved February 28, 2011
 Treasure State (used on license plates)
Land of the Shining Mountains  Antelope StateNancy Capace, Encyclopedia of Nebraska. Somerset Publishers, Inc., January 1, 1999, p2-3
 Beef State (previously used on license plates)
 Cornhusker State (previously used on license plates)
 Bug-eating State
 Blackwater State
 The Good Life (as seen on state border signs)
 Tree Planters State (formerly the official state nickname)  Battle Born State (refers to the fact that Nevada joined the Union during the Civil War)
 Sagebrush State
 Silver State (used on license plates)
Casino State  Granite State
 The Live Free or Die State (official motto; "Live Free or Die" used on license plates)
 Mother of Rivers
 White Mountain State
 Switzerland of America  Garbage State (pejorative)
 Garden State (used on license plates)
 The Crossroads of the Revolution (previously used on license plates)
 The Cornerstone State (used colloquially, especially with reference to Pennsylvania when it is called the Keystone State).
 The Suburban State  Land of EnchantmentNew Mexico Revised Statutes, Sec. 12-3-4-N, retrieved November 4, 2013 (used on license plates)
 Land of Sunshine (predates "Land of Enchantment"; this earlier nickname highlighted the large percentage of sunshine received statewide)New Mexico Symbols, State Names, SHG Resources website, accessed July 7, 2008  Empire State (used on license plates)
 Excelsior State  First in Flight
First in Freedom
Old North StateIntroduction to North Carolina, 50 States, retrieved February 28, 2011.
 Tar Heel State
 Turpentine State
 Variety VacationlandVariety Vacationland Postcard Exhibit  Retrieved February 28, 2011.  Flickertail State
 Peace Garden State (used on license plates)
 Rough Rider State
 Sioux State
 Heaven on Earth  Håfa Adai (a Chamorro phrase; in English, it is "Hello")https://www.guamvisitorsbureau.com/ Guamvisitorsbureau.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018. (used on Northern Mariana Islands license plates)http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/PA_NMAR.html Worldlicenseplates.com. Northern Mariana Islands. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
America's Best Kept Secrethttps://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/australia-and-south-pacific/northern-mariana-islands/things-to-do  Northern Mariana Islands - Things to do. explore.com. Retrieved November 24, 2017  Buckeye State
 Birthplace of Aviation (used on license plates)
The Heart of It All (formerly used on license plates) Native America (used on license plates)
Land of the Red Man
 Sooner State   Beaver StateWriter John Francon Williams included a mention of Oregon as being the ‘Beaver State’ in 1892 in his book:The Advanced Class-Book of Modern Geography: Physical, Political, Commercial, by William Hughes and John Francon Williams, publ., London, George Philip & Son (1892) page 629: ‘OREGON, the ‘Beaver State,’ extends north of California to the Columbia River, which divides it from Washington.’
 Pacific Wonderland (previously used on license plates and available on an extra cost plate)
 Webfoot State  Keystone State (previously used on license plates)
 Quaker State
Coal State
Railroad State  Isla del Encanto ("Island of Enchantment") (used on license plates)
 Borinquen (name given by indigenous people, the Tainos)  Little Rhody
 Ocean State (used on license plates)
 Rogues Island
 The Licentious Republic
Smallest State  Palmetto State
 Iodine Products State (no longer used) (previously used on license plates)  Artesian State
 Blizzard State
 Coyote StateSouth Dakota Symbols, State Names , SHG Resources website, accessed July 7, 2008
 Land of Infinite Variety
 The Mount Rushmore State (officially adopted in 1980 in place of the former nickname of Coyote State)
 Sunshine State (no longer used; see Florida)  Big Bend State (refers to the Tennessee River)Tennessee Symbols and Honors, in Tennessee Blue Book
 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 (used on license plates)  Lone Star State (used on license plates)  
 America's Caribbean (used on U.S. Virgin Islands license plates until 2015)http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/CA_USVI.html Worldlicenseplates.com. U.S. Virgin Islands. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
 American Paradisehttp://www.ducksters.com/geography/state.php?State=Virgin%20Islands Virgin Islands (Ducksters.com). Retrieved November 24, 2017.  Beehive State
 Crossroads of the West – Location the Golden Spike was driven into the railroad, the joining point of the First transcontinental railroad.
 Mormon State
 Friendly State (formerly used on license plates)  Green Mountain State (used on license plates)  Mother of Presidents
 Mother of States
 Horse Country
 The Old Dominion  Evergreen State (used on license plates)  Mountain State (previously used on license plates)
 Panhandle State
The Switzerland of America
 Almost Heaven "Wisconsin State Symbols " in Wisconsin Blue Book 2005-2006, p. 966. Wisconsin has no Official nickname. Badger State
 America's Dairyland (also on license plates since a 1939 state law)
 The Mitten State
 The Copper State (historical)
The Dairy State  Cowboy State
 Equality State
 Forever West (on highway welcome signs)

Notes

References

Other websites

Information about U.S. State Nicknames

Nicknames