Nicknames of Indianapolis

The city's nicknames reflect its geography, economy, transportation, demographics, and popular culture, including sports and music.

The "Circle City" nickname originates from the distinctive 1821 plan of Indianapolis by Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham.

The term was coined as early as the 1920s by African American Jazz performers, stressing the fourth syllable in IN-dee-ə-NAP-ə-lis.

[1] These variations originated in the 1960s as pejorative terms referring to the city's perceived dullness or provincial attitudes.

Indianapolis resident and former U.S. president Benjamin Harrison borrowed the verse in a 1897 speech: "I am, myself, a citizen of no mean city."

On July 27, 1909, Bookwalter presided over ceremonies for the cornerstone laying of the new City Hall, inscribed with Harrison's quote.

The brief article, "A Rust-Belt Relic's New Shine," featured local leaders and touted revitalization efforts underway in Indianapolis at the time.