List of city nicknames in Kansas

This partial list of city nicknames in Kansas compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Kansas 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. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

• Baxter Springs – First Cowtown in Kansas[3]
• Beattie – Milo Capital of the World[4]
• Cassoday – Prairie Chicken Capital of the World[5]
• Cawker City – Home of the World's Largest Ball of Twine[6]
• Dodge City
  • Queen of the Cowtowns[7]
  • The Wickedest Little City in America[8]
• Emporia – Front Porch of the Flint Hills[9]
• Garden City – Cutting Horse Capital[10]
• Girard – Printing Capital of the Nation[11]
• Haysville – Peach Capital of Kansas[4]
• Jennings – Czech Us Out[12]
• Kansas City
  • KCK[13]
  • Heart of America[14]
• Kirwin – Goose Capital[5]
• La Crosse – Barbed Wire Capital of the World[15]
• Lansing – City With a Future[16]
• Lawrence – River City[17]
• Lenexa – Spinach Capital[4]
• Leoti – Pinto Bean Capital[4]
• Liberal – The Land of Oz[8]
• Lindsborg – Little Sweden[18]
• Manhattan – The Little Apple[6][8][19]
• Marion
  • Rhino Capital of Kansas[20]
  • Town Between Two Lakes[20]
• Marysville – Black Squirrel Capital[10]
• Norton – Pheasant Capital of Kansas[5]
• Olathe – Cowboy Boot Capital[21]
• Parsons – Purple Martin Capital[5]
• Pittsburg – Fried Chicken Capital[22][23]
• Quinter – Half Mile High City[24]
• Russell Springs – Cow Chip Capital of Kansas[15]
• Topeka – Top City[25]
• Wellington – Wheat Capital of the World[4]
• Wichita
  • Air Capital of the World[11]
  • The Emerald City[8]
  • ICT[26]
• Wilson – Czech Capital of Kansas[12]
• Windom – Covered Dish Capital of the World[15]

See also

• List of cities in Kansas
• List of city nicknames in the United States

References

1. Muench, David "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts" Archived 2013-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, December 1993, accessed April 10, 2007.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. Baxter Springs Museum Retrieved 2008-02-21.
4. Claims to Fame - Agriculture, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
5. Claims to Fame - Birds, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
6. Claims to Fame - Braggadocio, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
7. Ford County Historical Society - Dodge City Archived 2009-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
8. U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
9. , Flint Hills Discovery website, accessed August 17,2020
10. Claims to Fame - Animals, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
11. Claims to Fame - Business, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
12. Claims to Fame - Ethnic Groups, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
13. Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
14. http://got.net/~landauer/lists/CityOf.html Archived 2015-02-14 at the Wayback Machine (cf., "Kansas City, Kansas: Heart of America")
15. Claims to Fame - Favorites, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
16. "City of Lansing, Kansas - Community Profile". Archived from the original on 2011-11-11. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
17. Lawrence-Journal World: River City Chronicles Archived 2009-01-08 at the Wayback Machine
18. Little Sweden: A Local Legacy Archived 2009-10-14 at the Wayback Machine America's Story website, The Library of Congress (accessed January 25, 2008)
19. Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau
20. "About Marion". City of Marion, Kansas. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
21. Claims to Fame - Clothing, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
22. Claims to Fame - Food Archived 2017-04-01 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
23. Faber, Harold (1993-09-12). "The World Capital of Whatever". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
24. Claims to Fame - Activities Archived 2010-12-24 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 10, 2008.
25. Top City Athletics, one of several businesses using the name
26. "Travel Translator: Your guide to the local language in Wichita". VisitWichita.com.