The Capital City, Cola, Soda City, The River City – we’ve all heard the nicknames but do you actually know where they came from? We’ve done some digging and have the full lowdown on Columbia’s most popular nicknames.

Cola

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqFZP5KHV58/

○ A short + sweet abbreviation of Columbia.

○ The abbreviation was first created by the US Postal Service.

Soda City

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQGD5Ptja61/

○ While it seems like this nickname has little to do with Columbia, its origin is quite simple. It stems from “Cola”, another word for soda, and caught on quite quickly.

○ Read more aboutSoda City market coining the term.

River City

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLPVGSSDuHv/

○ This nickname comes from the three rivers – the Saluda, Broad + Congaree – that converge in the heart of Columbia.

The Capital City

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Wk5vVD9ZZ/

○ This one may be obvious, but as Columbia is the capital of S.C., this nickname was rightfully earned.