This list of city nicknames in Wisconsin compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that Wisconsin's cities and towns 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. Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" are also believed to have economic value. Their economic value is difficult to measure, but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City , MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
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.
Nicknames by city
A Algoma Wisconsin's Trout and Salmon Capital Warm Welcomes, Cool Breezes and Hot Fishing Allenton – You Have Friends in Allenton Alma Center – Strawberry Capital of Wisconsin Amery – City of Lakes Arbor Vitae/Woodruff – Crossroads of the North Ashland – Ashland Tops Wisconsin
B Babcock – The Cranberry Pie Capital Baldwin – The Biggest Little Town in Wisconsin Baraboo Circus City of the World Gem City Barron – Turkey Capital of Wisconsin Bayfield – Best Kept Secret in Wisconsin Bear Creek – Home of the World's Largest Sauerkraut Plant Beaver Dam – Beaver Dam – Make Yourself at Home Belleville – UFO Capital of the World Belmont – Home of the First Territorial Capital Beloit – Gateway to Wisconsin Berlin – Fur and Leather Capital Birchwood – Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin Black Creek Birthplace of the First Organized National Baseball Team Crossroads to the NorthwoodsVillage of Black Creek, retrieved April 27, 2013. Black Earth – The Only Black Earth in the World Black River Falls – Deer Capital of Wisconsin Blanchardville – The Village in the Valley Bloomer – Rope Jump Capital of the World Blue River – Heart of the Lower Wisconsin River Bonduel – Spelling Capital of Wisconsin Boscobel Birthplace of the Gideon Bible Turkey Hunting Capital of Wisconsin Boulder Junction – Musky Capital of the World Boyceville – Cucumber Capital of Wisconsin Boyd – The Friendly Town – Why Go By Brodhead – The Bicycle Gateway to Wisconsin Burlington – Chocolate City, USA
C Cambridge – The Umbrella City Cassville – Where History, Bald Eagles and the Mississippi Meet Cedarburg – Historic Cedarburg Chippewa Falls – Naturally the World's Purest Water Clam Lake – Heart of the Chequamegon National Forest Clintonville – The Good Life Unlimited Colby – Home of Colby Cheese Columbus – Red Bud City Combined Locks Headwaters Vacationland Conservation, Protection, Preservation Cornell – Stacker City Cornucopia – Wisconsin's northernmost Post Office Cross Plains – Famous For Friendliness Cuba City – The City of Presidents Cumberland Rutabaga Capital The Island City
D Darlington – The Pearl of the Pecatonica, U.S.A. Delavan – Clown Town, U.S.A Dickeyville – Home of the Famous Dickeyville Grotto Dodgeville – At the heart of it all Dousman – Bullfrog Station
E Eagle River Snowmobile Capital of the World Wisconsin's Cranberry Country Eau Claire Music Capital of the North Horseradish Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Food , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007 Kubb Capital of North America Eden – Hometown of Baseball Star Jim Gantner Edgar – Progressive Village Serving People Edgerton – Tobacco City Elkhorn The Christmas Card City Living in Harmony Ellsworth – Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin Elmwood – UFO Capital of the World Ephraim – The Pearl of the Peninsula Ettrick – Fun City, USA Evansville – Soybean Capital of Wisconsin Exeland – Trout Fishing Capital of Wisconsin
F Fennimore – Fennimore..."The City on the Move!" Florence County – Heart of Wild Rivers Country Fond du Lac – Winners Choice Forest Junction – You Can Get There From Here Fox Cities – Refreshing Change of Place Fox Lake – Home of Bunny Berigan Francis Creek – A Nice Place to Live Fremont – White Bass Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Fish , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007
G Galesville – Garden of Eden Gays Mills – The Apple Capital of Wisconsin Germantown Deutschstadt Gateway to Washington County Gleason – Brook Trout Fishing Capital of the World Glidden – Black Bear Capital of the World Grantsburg – Home of Big Gust Green Bay Titletown USA Toilet paper Capital of the World Packertown Green Lake – Wisconsin's Lake Trout Capital
H Haugen – Kolache Capital Hayward – Home of World Record Muskies Hazel Green – Point of Beginning Hillsboro – Czech Capital of Wisconsin Holmen – Yes, Holmen Horicon – Home of the Horicon Marsh Hurley – Where 51 Ends...Family Fun Begins
J Janesville Bower City" The Bower City is Proud of Pioneers.", Janesville Recorder, April 20, 1911. Accessed July 26, 2008 City of Parks Wisconsin's Park Place Jefferson – The Gemütlichkeit City Jim Falls – Biggest Little Town on the River Johnson Creek – Crossroads With a Future Juda – Buffalo Roast Capital of Wisconsin Juneau – Birthplace of Addie Joss (Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher)
K Kaukauna – The Electric CityDid You Know? Facts About the City of Kaukauna, Wisconsin Kenosha – Kenosha...For All Seasons Kewaskum – Gateway to the Kettle Moraine State Forest Kewaunee – Kewaunee – Spirit of the Lakeshore
L La Crosse – God's Country. Mud City, USA Lac du Flambeau – Lake of Torches Lake Geneva – Enjoyed for Over 100 Years by the Rich & Famous Lake Tomahawk – Snowshoe Baseball Capital of the World Lancaster – City of the Dome Land O' Lakes – Land of Four Seasons Fun Langlade County – Wisconsin's Get-Away County Lodi – Home of Susie the Duck Lone Rock – Coldest Spot in the Nation (With the Warmest Heart)
M Madison Mad CityA Symbol for a City , on the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission's Madison: A Capital Idea website, accessed January 5, 2008. "An art lover at the 1976 Art Fair on the Square sports the Mad City T-shirt created by Russ Frank of the Madison Top Company two years earlier." Madtown City of Four LakesMadison Metropolitan School District Berkeley of the Midwest Manitowish Waters – Wisconsin's Northwoods Year-Round Vacationland Manitowoc Wisconsin's Maritime Capital Manty Clipper City Skunk Hollow Marinette – Marinette County Waterfalls Capital of Wisconsin Marshfield The City in the Center Cheese City USA Mayville – Jayville Mazomanie – Turn-of-the-Century Railroad Town Medford – People, Pride and Progress Menasha (city) – Menasha on the Move Menasha (town) – Bridging the Fox Cities Menomonie – Traditional Yet Progressive Mercer – Loon Capital of the World Merrill – Enjoy the Merrill Advantage Middleton – The Good Neighbor City Milton – History in Progress Milwaukee Brew City/Brew Town/The BrewBrew City loses its oldest brewery, by Lisa Price, October 31, 1996, on CNN.com website. "Milwaukee has never had an identity crisis -- as one city resident said, 'We've been Brew City for 135 years.'" City of Festivals Cream CityThe "Cream City" nickname refers to the cream-colored brick produced in Milwaukee and used in many of its 19th-century buildings.Cream City Brick , by Terry Pepper, updated 12/02/2007 The German Athens of America, MPTV A Great Place on a Great Lake Mil-town Mineral Point – The City Where Wisconsin Began Minocqua – The Island City Monona – City of Pride, and It Shows Monroe – Swiss Cheese Capital of the U.S.A Montfort – Home of the Fort Mt. Horeb – The Troll Capital Mukwonago - Place of the Bear Muscoda – Morel Mushroom Capital of Wisconsin
N New Auburn – Gateway to the Ice Age Park New Berlin – City Living with a Touch of Country., New Glarus – America's Little Switzerland New Holstein – Cow Town, USA New London – Heart of Wolf River Country New Richmond – The City BeautifulCity of New Richmond website, accessed October 15, 2011 Norwalk – The Black Squirrel Capital of the World
O Oak Creek – Where City Meets The Country Oconomowoc – A Special Place Oconto – Oconto – History on the Bay Omro – Bridge to the Future Onalaska – Sunfish Capital of the World Oregon – Horse Capital of Wisconsin Oshkosh Oshkosh on the Water Wisconsin's Event City
P Palmyra – Heartbeat of the Kettle Moraine Pardeeville – Home of the World Watermelon Eating and Seed Spitting Championships Park Falls – Ruffed Grouse Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Birds , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007 Peshtigo – Home of the Great Peshtigo Fire Phelps – Headwaters County (Start of Wisconsin River) Phillips We've Saved a Place for You! Trophy Whitetail Capital Pittsville – Exact Geographical Center of the State Platteville – Home of the Chicago Bears Summer Training Camp Plover – Golden Sands Area Plum City – A Small Village in a Peaceful Valley Plymouth – The Cream of Wisconsin Poniatowski – The Center of the Northwestern World Port Washington Picturesque Port Washington Jewel of the Lake Michigan Shore Portage Historic Portage Potosi-Tennyson – Catfish Capital of Wisconsin Prairie du Chien – Wisconsin's Second Oldest Settlement (Where Great Rivers Meet) Prescott – Where the Mighty Mississippi Meets the Beautiful St. Croix River Presque Isle Walleye Capital of the World Wisconsin's Last Wilderness Price County – We've Saved a Place for You Princeton – Princeton on the Fox – Where Yesterday Meets Tomorrow Pulaski – Polka Town
R Racine Kringle Capital of the World The Belle CityRacine, Wisconsin the Belle City of the Lakes. , Racine, Wisconsin. Accessed June 13, 2007 Randolph – A Great Place to Grow Redgranite – Home of the State Rock Reedsburg – Butter Capital of America Rhinelander – Home of the Hodag Richland Center – From Farming to Frank Lloyd Wright Ripon – Birthplace of the Republican Party
S Sauk City/Prairie du Sac – Cow Chip Throwing Capital of Wisconsin Saukville – Saukville Will Work for You Sayner-Star Lake – The Birthplace of the SnowmobileA local mechanic and businessman built the first workable snowmobile in his shop in Sayner (About Plum Lake Township , Sayner-Star Lake Chamber of Commerce website, accessed July 26, 2008) Seymour – Home of the Hamburger Sheboygan Bratwurst Capital of the World The City of Cheese, Chairs, and ChildrenSheboygan County Historical Documents, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Shiocton – Where Nature Begins Siren – Lilac Capital of Wisconsin Soldiers Grove – America's First Solar Village Somerset – Tubing Capital of the World Sparta – Bicycling Capital of America Spencer – A Friendly Small Town with a Future Spooner – Crossroads of the North Spring Valley – Home of the Largest Earthen Dam in the Midwest St. Germain The Friendliest Town in the Northwoods All Trails Lead to St. Germain Birthplace of Colorama Stevens Point – See Our Point of View Gateway to the Pineries Stockbridge – Sturgeon Center of the World Stoughton – The City of Progress and Opportunity Stratford – Stratford on the Move Sun Prairie – The Groundhog Capital of the WorldClaims to Fame - Animals , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007 Superior Where Sail Meets Rail I'm a Superior Lover Soup TownTwin Ports: Duluth/Superior, accessed May 8, 2007. "Duluth, also known as the "Zenith City", is the larger of the two, and usually gets the most notoriety, but Superior, also referred to as "Soup Town"(because of common fog overhangs!) has a lot to offer residents as well as visitors." The Twin Ports (with Duluth, Minnesota).
T Taycheedah – Sheepshead Fishing Capital of the World Tilden – Halfway Between the North Pole and the Equator Tomah Where the I Divides Gateway to Cranberry Country Tomahawk – Gateway to the Northwoods Trego – The Wild River City Two Rivers Birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae Coolest Spot in Wisconsin or the Cool City
V Verona – Hometown USA