A Guide to 18 Houston Nicknames and Their Origins
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Houston sits along the Gulf Coast in southern Texas and is the third most populous city in the United States. It is known internationally as the Energy Capital of the World for the sheer number of oil, gas, and renewable energy producers headquartered in the region.
But energy is only part of the story. Space exploration put Houston on the global stage when NASA built its Mission Control Center here in the 1960s. Music, food, and sports have all left their mark, too. Here are 18 Houston nicknames and the history behind each one.
18 Nicknames for Houston, Texas
The Energy Capital of the World
Houston is a city built around the energy sector. It is home to businesses across all segments of energy production and distribution. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, there are more than 4,200 energy industry firms headquartered in the region.
Houston employs nearly a third of all oil and gas extraction jobs in the United States, and the city has also seen significant growth in the renewable energy sector.
Still, oil and gas have been behind the city's historic success, with more than 500 exploration and production companies calling the area home.
The 713
This Houston nickname dates back to 1947, when "713" became the original telephone area code for the southeastern part of Texas. It remained the only area code for the region until 1983, when the first split created area code 409.
While several area codes now serve the metro area, 713 continues to represent central Houston. Houstonians embrace the nickname so much that a celebration is held every year on July 13th, with live music performances and specials at local restaurants and bars.
Space City
Houston's history as "Space City" dates back to the 1960s when NASA selected the area to host its Manned Spacecraft Center. The Humble Oil and Refining Company donated 1,000 acres of land near Clear Lake to Rice University, which then transferred the site to NASA.
Construction began in 1962, and the center officially opened in 1963. The facility served as ground control during the Apollo space missions, including Apollo 11, which put the first humans on the moon.
The City of Houston officially became known as Space City in 1967. Houston police were ahead of the curve, having already added "Space City, U.S.A." to their patches in 1964. That tradition persists today.
Screwston
"Screwston" comes from the late Houston hip-hop producer DJ Screw. Known for his Chopped and Screwed music style and for creating more than 350 mixtapes throughout his career, DJ Screw built a devoted following of fans known as "Screwheads."
His real name was Robert Earl Davis Jr., and his influence on Houston's music scene was enormous. DJ Screw died in 2000, but his legacy and the Screwston nickname continue to live on in casual conversation and in the lyrics of other Houston musicians.
HOU
At first glance, "HOU" might look like a simple abbreviation. But there is more to it than saving a few keystrokes. HOU is the official airport code for William P. Hobby Airport, the oldest commercial airport in Houston.
It began operations as a private airstrip in 1927 and was purchased by the City of Houston in 1937. The airport code has since become a shorthand for the city itself, used on social media, merchandise, and in everyday conversation.
The City of the Rockets
Most people attribute this nickname to the NBA's Houston Rockets. But the "City of the Rockets" also pays homage to Houston's NASA Johnson Space Center, which was once the base for ground control during the 1960s and 1970s Apollo moon missions.
The nickname shows up in local popular culture, including in the lyrics of Houston underground hip-hop artist AnTone in his song Reppin' For My City.
The Capital of the Sunbelt
Houston earned the nickname "Capital of the Sunbelt" during a period of rapid growth and prosperity in the 1970s. A thriving petroleum industry drew producers to the city to expand the domestic oil supply.
By 1980s, the term had gained enough traction that academics were using it in scholarly work. Although the boomtown years of the 1970s are over, Houston remains the most important energy city in the United States.
Bayou City
"Bayou City" is one of the oldest nicknames for Houston. The City of Houston was founded in 1836 on a spot called Allen's Landing, at the junction of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou. The city sits along approximately 2,500 miles of bayous and other waterways, so it is easy to see why early residents referred to it as the Bayou City.
The nickname gained early recognition during the Civil War, when a Confederate cottonclad warship named the Bayou City took part in the 1863 Battle of Galveston. Today, the name appears throughout Houston, from the Bayou City Event Center to the annual Bayou City Arts Festival.
Magnolia City
"Magnolia City" is another old nickname for Houston that dates back to the 1800s. First used locally in the 1870s, the term refers to the magnolia forests that once existed in East Houston.
The nickname gained wider recognition after appearing in Texas newspapers in the early 1900s. The magnolia forests were all removed by the 1920s in the name of development, but the nickname has stuck around. Despite the association, the magnolia tree is not the official state tree of Texas. That title goes to the pecan tree!
Silicon Bayou
A play on tech-driven Silicon Valley and Houston's famous bayous, "Silicon Bayou" highlights the city's growing prominence in the technology industry, even though it is no stranger to the scene.
The Offshore Technology Conference has been held here since 1969. But the city is now also a hotbed for medical and digital technology. The City of Houston has partnered with major technology companies, including Microsoft, which launched Accelerate: a Houston program to promote social entrepreneurship in the community.
Hustle Town
"Hustle Town" refers to the city's importance as a business and cultural hub, a place that is constantly moving and shaking. The nickname gained popularity within Houston's hip-hop community in the late 1990s and has been widely used ever since.
You can find the phrase "Welcome to Hustle Town" painted at Daikain Park (formerly Minute Maid Park), home to the MLB's Houston Astros.
Clutch City
Perhaps the most famous Houston nickname among sports fans, "Clutch City" references the Houston Rockets' clutching two consecutive NBA Championships in 1994 and 1995.
The nickname emerged in response to a Houston Chronicle headline that labeled the city "Choke City" after two postseason losses. The Rockets answered that criticism on the court. The Clutch City name has since been widely adopted throughout the Houston sports world.
The Rockets changed their mascot to Clutch the Rockets Bear in 1995, and the term has also been used to refer to the Houston Astros winning the National League Championship Series in 2005 and the Houston Dynamo winning the MLS Cup in 2006.
Crush City
"Crush City" is a nickname rooted in the 2015 Houston Astros season. That year, Astros batters hit 230 home runs, placing them among the top home run-hitting teams in Major League Baseball for the season. The nickname extends beyond baseball as well. Houston Crush City is also a club-level team of USA Ultimate.
Choke City
The nickname "Choke City" originated from a May 12, 1994, headline in the Houston Chronicle. The paper ran it after the NBA's Houston Rockets gave up considerable leads and lost two consecutive semifinal games to the Phoenix Suns.
"Choke City" referred to the players figuratively choking during the games. Thankfully for Houston, the nickname did not stick around for long. The Rockets recovered from their losses and went on to win the NBA Championship in 1994 and 1995.
The Big Heart
Houston earned the nickname "the Big Heart" for its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and 2006. The storm devastated New Orleans, not far from the Gulf of Mexico.
More than 150,000 evacuees from New Orleans fled to Houston following the storm, with over 100,000 still there a year later. To accommodate the influx, the City of Houston moved displaced residents into 35,000 empty apartments throughout the city.
Rather than putting people in isolated trailer camps, then-mayor Bill White spearheaded a program that integrated newcomers into the community. That response earned Houston the Big Heart nickname.
Ozone City
Used within punk and alternative music circles to refer to Houston, "Ozone City" is not a compliment. Although nobody knows exactly where the nickname originated, the general consensus is that it refers to the city's historically poor air quality.
The American Lung Association has consistently ranked the Houston area among the worst cities in the country for ozone pollution. While other Houston nicknames are more flattering, the Ozone City moniker serves as a reminder that environmental challenges remain.
H-Town
Other nicknames may be older, but few are more widely used in everyday conversation than "H-Town." The origin is up for debate, but most Houstonians agree it entered the common vocabulary in the 1990s. That is when the Houston R&B group named H-Town rose to international fame.
Since then, H-Town has been a common way to refer to the city. The annual H-Town Blues Festival has also used the nickname, and Houston's Arena Theatre was known as the H'Town Arena for several years until the property was sold in 2004.
Mutt City
As the largest city in Texas, Houston is home to a wide range of cultures and communities. Over the years, these blended cultures have produced a food scene unlike any other. Writer John T. Edge gave Houston the nickname "Mutt City" for this culinary identity that developed from a wide mix of influences.
In Summary
Houston's nicknames cover energy, space, music, sports, and food. Some are official, some were born on a basketball court, and others came from a recording studio or a newspaper headline. Each name captures a different chapter in the city's history, and the list keeps growing.
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