What Do Locals Call Your Part Of The State???

[Rothman]

There is a whole thread dedicated to the upstate/downstate debate.

[skluth]

Hampton Roads, Tidewater, Southeast Virginia, etc.

Outsiders just pick a big city in the area such as Virginia Beach or Norfolk and refer to anything and everywhere in the Hampton Roads area as that.

Sounds right. It's also subdivided into the Southside (Norfolk, VA Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk) and the Peninsula (Newport News, Hampton). Technically, the Peninsula also includes Williamsburg and Yorktown, but it's a less flexible definition. There are also some old communities that were absorbed when all the old counties incorporated like Sandbridge and Denbigh.

[bing101]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise,_Nevada

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip

Outsiders think "The Strip" is in the city of Las Vegas. But Locals know "The Strip" is being in Paradise, NV.

[stwoodbury]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest

Yeah, the semi-arid area east of the Cascades has been called the "Inland Empire" since the early 20th century.

Though recently they've been trying to secede and call themselves the State of Liberty.

This clip brought back some memories because I lived in the Spokane area when that was aired.

The "Inland Empire"  Or "Inland Northwest"  includes the area between the Cascades in Washington and Montana with Spokane as the de facto capital, basically Eastern Washington and North Idaho (a local term for the Panhandle). Some more expansive visions include Western Montana, NE Oregon, and even parts of Canada (which is roughly the broadcast market for the three Spokane TV networks KHQ, KREM, and KXLY).

The Spokane based media uses the terms Inland Empire or Inland Northwest for the whole region but in that part of Idaho, the locals prefer the term North Idaho (not Northern Idaho but "North"  Idaho as if it were its own State like North Carolina or North Dakota).

There have been a few notions of creating a separate State of Lincoln or Columbia for this area, since Eastern WA and North Idaho are isolated from their respective state capitals, but none of them went very far. The latest Liberty initiative (which only includes Eastern Washington as far as I know) is a conservative revolt against the more populated and more liberal Western Washington.






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[bing101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLP71byQO4

A 1985 News Clip from Washington State Spokane area as "Inland Empire"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Northwest

Yeah, the semi-arid area east of the Cascades has been called the "Inland Empire" since the early 20th century.

Though recently they've been trying to secede and call themselves the State of Liberty.

This clip brought back some memories because I lived in the Spokane area when that was aired.

The "Inland Empire"  Or "Inland Northwest"  includes the area between the Cascades in Washington and Montana with Spokane as the de facto capital, basically Eastern Washington and North Idaho (a local term for the Panhandle). Some more expansive visions include Western Montana, NE Oregon, and even parts of Canada (which is roughly the broadcast market for the three Spokane TV networks KHQ, KREM, and KXLY).

The Spokane based media uses the terms Inland Empire or Inland Northwest for the whole region but in that part of Idaho, the locals prefer the term North Idaho (not Northern Idaho but "North"  Idaho as if it were its own State like North Carolina or North Dakota).

There have been a few notions of creating a separate State of Lincoln or Columbia for this area, since Eastern WA and North Idaho are isolated from their respective state capitals, but none of them went very far. The latest Liberty initiative (which only includes Eastern Washington as far as I know) is a conservative revolt against the more populated and more liberal Western Washington.

Thanks I never knew there was another Inland Empire besides the California one.

[johnintx]

Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.

[AlexandriaVA]

At least in VA, Alexandria and Arlington are usually considered inner suburbs. Then you've got middle suburbs (Fairfax and to a lesser extent Prince William counties) and then outer suburbs/exurbs (Loudoun, etc).

I think that most people in the US would consider Alexandria and Arlington urban, as well as many parts of Fairfax. Not as sure about outer areas like Loudoun and PW County because I don't ever really get out that way, but I know there are some malls/town centers and such. Loudoun and PW are where Nova start to creep towards rural.

[bassoon1986]

Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.

Golden Triangle is also used in DFW. The triangle being Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth


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[Konza]

Anything south of the Gila River is often referred to as Baja Arizona.

[3467]

I am in Western Illinois also known as forgottonia  based on paucity of 4 lane roads. On rare occasion Illowa and even Chicagoland  based on McCormick s original definition of the daily home delivery of the Tribune.

[Road Hog]

Lots of names in Texas.

I live on the edge of Houston. Houston is known as Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, Greater Houston, or simply Houston. Houston could mean anything from Conroe to Baytown to Clear Lake to Pearland to Richmond to Katy to Cypress.

I moved here from Fort Worth. That part of Texas has lots of names. It's known as the Metroplex, a chamber of commerce creation from the 70's that stuck. It's known as Dallas-Fort Worth, or DFW. In the last 10-15 years, as the area has expanded from two primary counties to four (Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin), it has become known as North Texas. Outsiders simply call it Dallas. (those are fighting words in Fort Worth)

West Texas starts anywhere from Abilene to Weatherford, depending on who you ask. I'd call it anywhere from where you can't commute into the DFW area.

East Texas is really anything north of Lufkin (maybe even Livingston) and east of roughly TX 19. Anywhere from where you can't commute south into Houston or west into DFW. The Lufkin area is also called Deep East Texas or the Piney Woods. Yes, in Houston, we say "up in East Texas", even though we're also east.

Anything south of Austin is South Texas.

Waco, Temple/Killeen, and Austin can all be considered Central Texas.

Bryan/College Station is considered Aggieland. Or, these days, College Station. Bryan was traditionally the larger city and is the county seat, but College Station has outgrown it with the growth of Texas A&M.

Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange has always been called the Golden Triangle. It is also considered Southeast Texas, both separate from and combined with the greater Houston area.

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

The Rio Grande Valley is used for the three counties at the bottom tip of Texas. It is shortened to "The Valley". I've never been to the Valley.

I would throw in a few others. The counties bordering the Red River are generally called Texoma, specifically between Paris and Wichita Falls. The area around Abilene is known as the Big Country – you enter it once you climb Ranger Hill, which is really an escarpment to a very flat plateau. (To me anything west of I-35 is West Texas, but the locals definitely do discriminate.)

And there is a dividing line between the Panhandle and West Texas, basically the parallel that separates the counties contained within the part where the Texas-Oklahoma border starts heading north from the river from the ones south of it. In other words, Amarillo is Panhandle, Lubbock is West Texas.

[johnintx]

I would throw in a few others. The counties bordering the Red River are generally called Texoma, specifically between Paris and Wichita Falls. The area around Abilene is known as the Big Country – you enter it once you climb Ranger Hill, which is really an escarpment to a very flat plateau. (To me anything west of I-35 is West Texas, but the locals definitely do discriminate.)

And there is a dividing line between the Panhandle and West Texas, basically the parallel that separates the counties contained within the part where the Texas-Oklahoma border starts heading north from the river from the ones south of it. In other words, Amarillo is Panhandle, Lubbock is West Texas.

I should remember the Big Country. My wife went to school in Abilene.  And yes, it starts at Ranger Hill. Though I feel like I've hit west Texas when I pass Weatherford, or even West Loop 820 in Fort Worth. 

Lubbock is also called the South Plains, Midland & Odessa are called the Permian Basin, and San Angelo is called the Concho Valley. Those of us east of I-35 simply call it all West Texas. Amarillo, though, is most definitely the Panhandle.

And yes, that area on the Red River calls itself Texoma, or Texomaland. I'm old enough to remember when they called themselves North Texas. That name got swallowed up by the growth of the DFW area.

[stwoodbury]

At least in VA, Alexandria and Arlington are usually considered inner suburbs. Then you've got middle suburbs (Fairfax and to a lesser extent Prince William counties) and then outer suburbs/exurbs (Loudoun, etc).

I think that most people in the US would consider Alexandria and Arlington urban, as well as many parts of Fairfax. Not as sure about outer areas like Loudoun and PW County because I don't ever really get out that way, but I know there are some malls/town centers and such. Loudoun and PW are where Nova start to creep towards rural.

I used to drive through Loudoun County every day. The western half of the county is rural but the eastern half (Leesburg, Ashburn, Dulles Airport) is fairly well developed.


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[sprjus4]

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

I've only used and heard "Corpus" from locals, including family. "Coastal Bend" is a first.

[US 81]

...
And yes, that area on the Red River calls itself Texoma, or Texomaland. I'm old enough to remember when they called themselves North Texas. That name got swallowed up by the growth of the DFW area.

I, too am old enough to remember when Texoma was just the lake. In those days, many made the distinction between "North Central Texas" = DFW urban/suburban and "North Texas" rural and south of the Red, including Paris, Gainesville and Sherman/Denison

[US 81]

The Corpus Christi area is known as the Coastal Bend. Or, simply Corpus.

I've only used and heard "Corpus" from locals, including family. "Coastal Bend" is a first.

I have understood "Coastal Bend" to refer to a large region (more or less centered on Corpus to be sure) from about Matagorda Bay south to South Padre.

[Rothman]

"Coastal Bend" sounds like someone's got indigestion.

[StogieGuy7]

The southeast part of the state is just "Milwaukee".

No.  I live near Kenosha and can assure you that the overall region (SE 1/4 of the state) is called "Southeast Wisconsin").  In fact, moving here from the Chicago area I was surprised to learn that what people consider to be the Milwaukee area is basically limited to Milwaukee and the WOW counties.  Racine and Kenosha are considered outside the area, as Fond du Lac or Sheboygan would be.

[20160805]

My metro area is often known, both by insiders and by people on the news, as "the Fox Cities", which makes sense as it's right along the Fox River.  People from outside Wisconsin would more than likely just call it Appleton.

[webny99]

Seems funny to mention it after almost 200 replies, but shouldn't this be in the off-topic board?

[thspfc]

My metro area is often known, both by insiders and by people on the news, as "the Fox Cities", which makes sense as it's right along the Fox River.  People from outside Wisconsin would more than likely just call it Appleton.

I call it the Fox Valley. Really no difference though.

[kphoger]

To my ears, "Fox Valley" refers to places in Illinois.  Specifically Aurora up to Elgin for me, although the region does extend beyond there.

[thspfc]

To my ears, "Fox Valley" refers to places in Illinois.  Specifically Aurora up to Elgin for me, although the region does extend beyond there.

You would be correct - except there is no hills or valleys, or any vertical topography whatsoever, in Illinois. 

[kphoger]

there is no hills or valleys, or any vertical topography whatsoever, in Illinois.

Having lived in southern Illinois, I strongly disagree.

[Mrt90]

The high school conference in that part of Wisconsin is called the Fox Valley Association, so the term Fox Valley is definitely used up there, too.  I live and work in between those two areas and I hear it used in reference to Wisconsin much more than Illinois. 

There's actually some discussion of the 2 Fox Valleys much earlier in this topic.  So to repeat myself from earlier, the Fox River in the Appleton, Wisconsin area and the Fox River in Elgin, Illinois are not the same river, although the Fox River that runs though the Fox Valley in Illinois begins in Wisconsin.