Ranking the best and worst nicknames for North Carolina

In my column this week on North Carolina’s growing love affair with toll roads, I mentioned one of our old nicknames: The Good Roads State.

That little aside got me thinking about all the other nicknames our state has picked up over the years — some poetic, some quirky, and some we’d probably rather forget.

Before the countdown, go do two things:
1️⃣ Read my column on why toll roads aren’t the North Carolina way.
2️⃣ See my quick video on Instagram about why North Carolina is obsessed with toll roads right now — and hit follow while you’re there.

10 N.C. nicknames, ranked

10. The Turpentine State

In the 1800s, we were the world’s leading producer of tar, pitch, and turpentine — vital for shipbuilding. It’s a big part of our history, but as a nickname, it’s… sticky in the wrong way. Nobody’s putting this on a T-shirt.

9. Land of the Sky

This one comes from an 1876 novel and has been used mostly for Asheville and the mountains. Pretty words, but too vague to mean much. “Big Sky Country” works out west because it instantly paints a picture — “Land of the Sky” could be almost anywhere.

8. Variety Vacationland

The official tourism slogan from the 1930s through the ’70s. It’s got that vintage postcard vibe, which is fun — but it sounds like it should come with a brochure and a set of travel stamps.

7. The Rip Van Winkle State

This was never meant kindly. In the early 1800s, critics said North Carolina was snoozing while the rest of the nation was charging ahead. Thankfully, we’ve woken up. Still… I’ll admit, it’s kind of catchy.

6. North Cackalacky / North Cack

The origins on this one are murky: some say military slang, others credit pop culture. It’s playful and a little absurd, which can be fun. Still, it’s not going on the state seal anytime soon.

5. The Goodliest Land

When Ralph Lane first saw the Outer Banks in 1585, he called it “the goodliest land under the cope of heaven.” Flowery, sure, but there’s something endearing about knowing that the first Englishman to set foot here was instantly smitten.

4. The Good Roads State

Born out of the early 1900s “Good Roads” movement, it was a declaration of modernity. We weren’t just paving roads, we were knitting the state together. It’s a nickname worth dusting off, though the toll booth boom is putting a dent in the spirit of it.

3. “A vale of humility between two mountains of conceit”

It’s hard not to smile at this one. Part self-deprecation, part jab at Virginia and South Carolina, it captures our knack for being different without being loud about it.

2. The Old North State

If I were ranking purely on punch and originality, this one might sit lower. It’s not flashy, and not particularly unique. But the history keeps it near the top for me.

The name dates back to when Carolina was still one colony, and we were the “northern” half — the old north compared to what became South Carolina. Over the centuries, it’s picked up a sense of dignity that’s hard to shake. It’s baked into our state song, stitched onto flags, and used in moments when we want to sound official and timeless. I’ve got a soft spot for it.

1. The Tar Heel State

This is more than a nickname — it’s a whole identity. The legend goes that during the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers fought so fiercely that other units joked they must have tar stuck to their heels. It started as an insult, but we claimed it and wore it proudly.

Over time, “Tar Heel” came to mean toughness, loyalty, and stubborn pride — the kind that plants its feet and doesn’t back down when it matters most. That’s the best kind of nickname — not tied to geography or marketing, but to character.

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Quick hits

• Two sweeping audits confirm what we’ve all suspected: The DMV’s dysfunction wasn’t bad luck — it was built in. Chronic underfunding, botched tech rollouts, and years of bureaucratic buck-passing left North Carolinians waiting hours in line. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but one promise was kept: Auditor Dave Boliek’s deep dive into how to fix it. Read the column here: New North Carolina DMV audits show classic government failure
  

• I had the honor of recording an episode of my favorite podcast, Do Politics Better, a few weeks ago. It just dropped, and you can listen here.

• I also appear on this week’s episode of Swing State from WGHP (Fox 8) in High Point. You can see it here. Thank you, Bob Buckley, for having me on.

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Important reads

• The Secret to One Swing State Democrat’s Rise? Wonky TikTok Videos. (NYT Gift Link)

• Get Supporters To Save Your Campaign’s Phone Number (Campaign Trend)

Top spenders on social media last week

Question of the week

I must have been pretty persuasive last week, because 74% of you agreed with me that North Carolina governors should have a line-item veto. I honestly thought I would get out-voted.

This week, let’s talk toll roads.

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