This partial list of city nicknames in Virginia compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in the U.S. state of Virginia 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 establish a civic identity, help outsiders recognize a community, attract 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] This 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.
Bristol – The Birthplace of Country Music (shares this nickname with Bristol, Tennessee)[3]
Charlottesville
Cville
So Very Virginia[4]
Colonial Beach – Oyster Capital of the Potomac[5]
Fredericksburg
America's Most Historic City[6]
Where History Never Gets Old[4]
Harrisonburg – The Friendly City[7]
Honaker – Redbud Capital of the World[8]
Lexington
The Paris of Southwest Virginia [9]
Home of Hamric House [10]
Lynchburg
City of Seven Hills[11]
The Hill City[11][12]
Newport News
Bad News
Norfolk – Life, Celebrated Daily[4]
Mermaid City, USA
Portsmouth – P-Town[13]
Radford – The New River City[14]
Richmond
Capital of the South[15]
The River City[16][17]
RVA[18]
Dirt City
Roanoke
Magic City[19]
Star City of the South[20]
Virginia Beach
Neptune City
The Resort City
VA Beach
Williamsburg
The Burg[21]
The Colonial Capital[22]
Thrilliamsburg
Billysburg
Winchester – Apple Capital of the World[23]
^ abcMuench, David "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts" Archived 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, December 1993, accessed April 10, 2007.
^ abAlfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
^Birthplace of Country Music Archived 2011-10-27 at the Wayback Machine website
^ abcTagline Guru City Branding Survey Archived 2011-11-15 at the Wayback Machine, Tagline Guru website, accessed Aug 18, 2009
^McKinney, Wanda (April 2005). "Our Favorite Town Slogans". Southern Living. Archived from the original on 2007-11-07.
^Goolrick, John. T. (2006). Fredericksburg: America's Most Historic City. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-4286-5422-8.
^[1] Archived 2016-03-15 at the Wayback Machine Harrisonburg At-A-Glance website, accessed June 30, 2016
^Town of Honaker Archived 2008-06-17 at the Wayback Machine website, accessed July 30, 2008
^[2] Archived 2018-11-23 at the Wayback Machine Lexington Virginia website
^[3] Archived 2019-05-01 at the Wayback Machine Streets of Lexington book
^ ab[4] Archived 2010-01-23 at the Wayback Machine Lynchburg Online website
^Barry Popik, Smoky City Archived 2017-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
^[5] Archived 2021-01-21 at the Wayback Machine website
^"Radford City". Archived from the original on 2004-11-30. Retrieved 2004-12-29. Official nickname on website
^"Civil War Richmond – The South's Capital". Virginia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
^River City Magazine Archived 2011-09-06 at the Wayback Machine website
^History: River City Observed Archived 2009-01-13 at the Wayback Machine, Discover Richmond website
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2018-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Case 54: Roanoke, Virginia Archived 2007-07-28 at the Wayback Machine, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies website, accessed January 5, 2008. "The City of Roanoke, once known as the 'Magic City' due to the speed of the city’s growth, was chartered in 1884."
^The Roanoke Star Archived 2011-10-28 at the Wayback Machine, City of Roanoke website, accessed January 5, 2008. The nickname refers to a large lighted star on a mountainside overlooking the city, installed in 1949 and originally intended as a Christmas decoration. "It was over 50 years ago Roanoke earned the nickname, 'Star City of the South,' and the star has been a part of the landscape of Mill Mountain ever since."
^"William & Mary Law School - Our Town - the 'Burg!". law.wm.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
^"Capitol of Colonial Williamsburg". www.history.org. Archived from the original on 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
^Faber, Harold (1993-09-12). "The World Capital of Whatever". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
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