Do You Know All 50 State Slogans? The Full License-Plate List

Q: Are state slogans the same as state mottos?

Not quite. A state motto is a formal phrase adopted by the legislature. A state slogan or nickname is informal and usually marketing-driven.

Q: Which states have officially adopted their slogan?

Most states have adopted their nickname by statute at some point. Connecticut adopted 'The Constitution State' in 1959; Texas adopted 'The Lone Star State' through state-symbol legislation.

Q: Why is New York called the Empire State?

The nickname is credited to George Washington, who is said to have referred to New York as 'the seat of empire' for its strategic importance.

Q: Has any state changed its slogan?

Yes. Idaho switched between 'Famous Potatoes' and 'Scenic Idaho'; Connecticut moved from 'The Nutmeg State' to 'The Constitution State.'

Q: Why does Wyoming have two slogans?

Equality State refers to Wyoming being the first U.S. state or territory to grant women the right to vote (1869). Cowboy State captures the cattle-ranching heritage.

Q: What's the most disputed state slogan?

The First State (Delaware) is sometimes argued by Pennsylvania, and 'The Constitution State' is contested in spirit by Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Each of the 50 states has a slogan associated with it, which you'll often find on license plates. Does your state have a fitting moniker? See the list!

by Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: June 9, 2026

State Slogans at a Glance

Oldest still in use: Virginia’s “Old Dominion,” dating to King Charles II in 1660.
Most contested: Florida (“Sunshine State”), California (“Golden State”), New York (“Empire State”), all earned via tourism boards and license-plate history.
Most literal: Idaho (“Gem State”), Nevada (“Silver State”), Montana (“Treasure State”), all named for actual mineral deposits.
Most mysterious: Indiana (“Hoosier State”), origin of the word “Hoosier” still genuinely unknown after 200 years.
Two-slogan states: Wyoming carries both “Equality State” and “Cowboy State.”

Vintage American state license plates collage on a wooden garage wall showing many state slogans like Lone Star State, Sunshine State, Golden State, Empire State — Every U.S. state slogan, written on the one place every American sees them: the license plate.

Here’s a list of the fifty state slogans associated with each U.S. state, many of which appear on license plates. Do you think your state has a fitting slogan?

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, most state slogans (technically state nicknames) were popularized by 19th- and early-20th-century tourism boards, news columnists, and license-plate designers, not by formal legislation. A handful are constitutional (“Virginia, Old Dominion”). The rest are folklore that stuck.

The 50 States’ Slogans

Alabama, Yellowhammer State
Alaska, The Last Frontier
Arizona, The Grand Canyon State
Arkansas, The Natural State
California, The Golden State
Colorado, The Centennial State
Connecticut, The Constitution State
Delaware, The First State
Florida, The Sunshine State
Georgia, The Peach State
Hawaii, The Aloha State
Idaho, The Gem State
Illinois, The Prairie State
Indiana, The Hoosier State
Iowa, The Hawkeye State
Kansas, The Sunflower State
Kentucky, The Bluegrass State
Louisiana, The Pelican State
Maine, The Pine Tree State
Maryland, The Old Line State
Massachusetts, The Bay State
Michigan, The Great Lakes State
Minnesota, The North Star State
Mississippi, The Magnolia State
Missouri, The Show Me State
Montana, The Treasure State
Nebraska, The Cornhusker State
Nevada, The Silver State
New Hampshire, The Granite State
New Jersey, The Garden State
New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment
New York, The Empire State
North Carolina, The Tar Heel State
North Dakota, The Peace Garden State
Ohio, The Buckeye State
Oklahoma, The Sooner State
Oregon, The Beaver State
Pennsylvania, The Keystone State
Rhode Island, The Ocean State
South Carolina, The Palmetto State
South Dakota, Mount Rushmore State
Tennessee, The Volunteer State
Texas, The Lone Star State
Utah, The Beehive State
Vermont, The Green Mountain State
Virginia, The Old Dominion State
Washington, The Evergreen State
West Virginia, The Mountain State
Wisconsin, The Badger State
Wyoming, The Equality State or The Cowboy State

Five State Slogans With Surprising Origins

State	Slogan	Origin
Indiana	Hoosier State	No single accepted origin after 200 years; the word “Hoosier” appears in print by the 1830s with no traceable etymology
North Carolina	Tar Heel State	From colonial-era pine-tar production along the coast; the nickname became a point of pride during the Civil War
Maryland	Old Line State	Honoring the Maryland Line, regular Continental Army troops praised by George Washington
Oklahoma	Sooner State	“Sooners” were settlers who staked claims in the 1889 Land Run before the official noon-day start
Tennessee	Volunteer State	From the surge of Tennessee volunteers in the 1812 war and the Mexican-American War

Make it a game. This is also a great list with which to quiz your kids, friends, and other family members.

Ever wonder how many of these state slogans and nicknames originated? Read about it here.

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Frequently Asked Questions About State Slogans

Are state slogans the same as state mottos?

Not quite. A state motto is a formal Latin or English phrase adopted by the legislature (Michigan’s “Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice”). A state slogan or nickname is informal and usually marketing-driven (“The Great Lakes State”). License plates almost always carry the slogan, not the motto.

Which states have officially adopted their slogan?

Most states have adopted their nickname or slogan by statute or proclamation at some point, even if the phrase started informally. Connecticut formally adopted “The Constitution State” in 1959; Texas adopted “The Lone Star State” much earlier through state symbol legislation.

What does “Hoosier” actually mean?

Genuinely nobody is sure. The word has been used for Indiana residents since at least the 1830s, but historians have not settled on whether it came from a Cumberland-dialect English word, an Anglo-Saxon root, a contractor named Hoosier on the Ohio River, or some other source. It is the only state slogan whose own state cannot definitively explain.

Why is New York called the Empire State?

The nickname is generally credited to George Washington, who is said to have referred to New York as “the seat of empire” because of its strategic and economic importance. The phrase was already in common use by the 1820s and was adopted formally in the 19th century.

Has any state changed its slogan?

Yes. New Hampshire’s license plates carried “Live Free or Die” (the state motto) for decades; Idaho switched from “Famous Potatoes” to “Scenic Idaho” and back; Connecticut moved from “The Nutmeg State” to “The Constitution State.” Tourism boards drive most of the changes.

Why does Wyoming have two slogans?

“Equality State” refers to Wyoming being the first U.S. state or territory to grant women the right to vote (1869). “Cowboy State” captures the cattle-ranching heritage and the bucking-horse logo on the license plate. Wyoming uses both at official discretion.

What’s the most disputed state slogan?

“The First State” (Delaware) is sometimes argued by Pennsylvania, which seated its delegates earlier; “The Constitution State” is claimed by Connecticut and contested in spirit by Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Florida and California have competed for “Sunshine” branding in tourism for over a century.

For more state-and-region reading, see our favorite fish by region guide, the Kentucky Derby, and the year without a summer.