This list of city nicknames in Illinois compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that Illinois cities 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.
^"History of Algonquin". Village of Algonquin, IL. February 9, 2009. Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
^"Aurora History – A Rapidly Growing City". About Our City. City of Aurora, IL. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2012. Later, when the City was the first in the United States to use electric lights for publicly lighting the entire City, it achieved the nickname of 'City of Lights'.
^"The city had been built, inexplicably, in the middle of a mud flat, which necessitated raising portions of the downtown area on stilts above the sloshy earth, giving Chicago the first of many nicknames: Mud City.", Paddy whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster, Thomas J. English, HarperCollins (c) 2005, ISBN0-06-059002-5, pp73-74, https://www.harpercollins.com/9780060590031/paddy-whacked
^"Central Park skateboarders back to getting the boot – Mayor chases out those bored with their Fairview Park facility." Mike Frazier, Decatur Herald & Review, Saturday, November 11, 2006, p.A1
^"ADM lunch puts soy in spotlight – The company spreads the word about food's health benefits." Paul Brinkmann, Decatur Herald & Review, Saturday, November 20, 1999 p.A1
^Joliet Central High School HistoryArchived 2013-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, Joliet Township High School District 204 website, accessed October 28, 2011. Before 1935, the school's sports teams were known as "The Prison City Boys."
^Lombard InfoArchived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, National University of Health Sciences, accessed April 21, 2007. "Held each year during the first three weeks in May, regardless of the vagaries of the growing season, Lilac Time is Lombard’s celebration of a 70-year-old horticultural tradition that has led to the town’s designation as “The Lilac Village,”"
^Morton Pumpkin Festival InformationArchived January 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Morton Chamber of Commerce, accessed April 21, 2007. "Morton is the "Pumpkin Capital of the World". Home of Nestle/Libby's pumpkin packing plant, 80% of the world's canned pumpkin is processed here."
^Another Gem City Landing?Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, WGEM, April 10, 2007, accessed April 21, 2007. "QUINCY – It was an event that attracted thousands of people from around the world to the Gem City and then it moved to a different location -- Rantoul."