List of city nicknames in Oregon

This partial list of city nicknames in Oregon compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities in Oregon 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.

• Albany – Grass Seed Capital of the World ^{[3] [4]}
• Amity – Where Friendship Begins ^[5]
• Brookings – Where Flowers Meet the Sea ^[6]
• Carlton – A Great Little Town ^[7]
• Columbia City – City of Beauty and Livability ^[8]
• Cornelius – Oregon's Family Town ^[9]
• Cottage Grove – Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon ^[10]
• Dayton – Rich In History . . . Envisioning Our Future ^[11]
• Depoe Bay
  • Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast ^[12]
  • The World's Smallest Harbor ^[13]
• Estacada – Christmas Tree Capital of the World ^[14]
• Eugene
  • The Emerald City ^[15]
  • Tracktown, USA ^{[16] [17]}
• Forest Grove – A Place Where Families and Businesses Thrive ^[18]
• Garibaldi – Oregon's Authentic Fishing Village ^[19]
• Grants Pass – Where the Rogue River Runs ^[20]
• Keizer – Iris Capital of the World ^[21]
• Klamath Falls – Oregon's City of Sunshine ^[22]
• La Grande – The Hub of Northeast Oregon ^[23]
• Lakeview – Tallest Town in Oregon ^[24]
• Lebanon – It's Easier From Here ^[25]
• Milton-Freewater – Muddy Frogwater Country ^[26]
• Milwaukie – The Dogwood City of the West ^[27]
• Molalla – Home of the Buckaroo Rodeo ^[28]
• Newberg – A Great Place to Grow ^[29]
• Newport – The Dungeness Crab Capital of the World ^[30]
• North Plains – City to the Sunset ^[31]
• Nyssa
  • Gateway to the Oregon Trail ^{[32] [33]}
  • Thunderegg Capital of the World ^{[32] [33]}
• Oakridge
  • The Center of Oregon Recreation ^[34]
  • Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest ^[34]
• Ontario – Where Oregon Begins ^[35]
• Phoenix – The Other Phoenix ^[36]
• Portland
  Main article: Nicknames of Portland, Oregon
  • Bridgetown ^[37]
  • Rip City
  • Rose City ^{[21] [38]} or City of Roses ^[36]
  • Stumptown ^[39]
• Roseburg – Timber Capital of the Nation ^[40]
• Salem – The Cherry City ^[41]
• Sandy – Gateway to Mount Hood ^[42]
• Silverton – Oregon's Garden City ^[43]
• Springfield – Proud History, Bright Future ^[44]
• Stayton – Gateway to the Santiam Canyon ^[45]
• Sweet Home ‐ 'Gateway to the Santiam Playground' - 'Sugar City'
• Talent – Our name speaks for itself ^[46]
• Tigard – A Place to Call Home ^[47]
• Waldport – Where the Forest Meets the Sea ^[48]
• Yamhill – A Small Taste of Oregon ^[49]

See also

• 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. Albany Area Chamber of Commerce website Archived 2011-09-09 at the Wayback Machine , accessed January 5, 2008. "The Albany area is known as the 'grass seed capital of the world,' because Linn County is the leading producer in the U.S. of ryegrass grass seed."
4. Ah-choo! Allergy season is here, and students are starting to feel the itch Archived 2007-06-11 at archive.today , by Trevor Davis, Oregon Daily Emerald, May 3, 2007. "Grass seed production in Linn County, known as the 'Grass Seed Capital of the World,' contributes to allergy problems in Eugene."
5. City of Amity, Oregon Archived 2013-03-02 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed September 1, 2012
6. City of Brookings, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
7. City of Carlton, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
8. City of Columbia City, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
9. City of Cornelius, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
10. City of Cottage Grove official website, accessed September 1, 2012
11. City of Dayton, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
12. Depoe Bay Chamber of Commerce official website, accessed September 1, 2012
13. Sign at the south end of the US 101 bridge over the entrance to Depoe Bay
14. official website, accessed October 26, 2023
15. Denise Fainberg, Rainy City, Sunny Mood, The New York Times, March 21, 1999
16. Track Town USA Celebrating Eugene's Unique Role in Track & Field (website, accessed July 3, 2008)
17. Track Town U.S.A. is back, The Oregonian, June 26, 2008: "As it prepares to stage its first U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in 28 years, Eugene seems to be channeling some of the fearless spirit of the legendary Steve Prefontaine.... Eugene aims for nothing less than cementing its place in history as Track Town U.S.A."
18. City of Forest Grove, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
19. City of Garibaldi, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
20. City of Grants Pass, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
21. Claims to Fame - Plants Archived 2007-12-17 at the Wayback Machine , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
22. City of Klamath Falls, Oregon Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed June 5, 2017.
23. City of La Grande, Oregon Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed September 1, 2012
24. City of Lakeview, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
25. City of Lebanon, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
26. City of Milton-Freewater, Oregon official website, accessed July 30, 2008
27. City of Milwaukie, Oregon official website, accessed March 29, 2016
28. City of Molalla, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
29. City of Newberg, Oregon Archived 2012-08-17 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed September 1, 2012
30. City of Newport, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
31. City of North Plains, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
32. City of Nyssa, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
33. Nyssa, Oregon Chamber of Commerce website, accessed September 1, 2012
34. City of Oakridge, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
35. City of Ontario, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
36. U.S. City Monikers, Tagline Guru website, accessed January 5, 2008
37. "Portland State | the Water". Archived from the original on 2006-10-31. Retrieved 2011-08-28. "Bridgetown" nickname origin
38. Queen City, Time (magazine) , January 30, 1928, accessed April 13, 2007.
39. Early Towns and Cities: From Robin's Nest to Stumptown Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine , End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center website, by Clackamas Heritage Partners, Oregon City, Oregon. Rapid urban growth and demand for lumber during the city's early years led to extensive logging of the surrounding hills.
40. City of Roseburg, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
41. Salem Online History: The Cherry City, Salem Public Library website, accessed August 17, 2009
42. City of Sandy, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
43. City of Silverton, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
44. City of Springfield, Oregon Archived 2011-09-02 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed September 1, 2012
45. City of Stayton, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
46. Claims to Fame - Braggadocio Archived 2007-12-17 at the Wayback Machine , Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
47. City of Tigard, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
48. City of Waldport, Oregon official website, accessed September 1, 2012
49. City of Yamhill, Oregon Archived 2013-07-24 at the Wayback Machine official website, accessed September 1, 2012