North Carolina State Nickname: The Tar Heel State
Fact-checked • Updated December 10, 2025
"The Tar Heel State"
Also Known As:
About the Nickname The Tar Heel State
North Carolina is known as the Tar Heel State, a nickname that gained prominence during the Civil War, when soldiers embraced the term with pride. For centuries, the state’s extensive pine forests supported a major naval stores industry that produced tar, pitch, and turpentine. Today, the Tar Heel State remains North Carolina’s most widely recognized and established state nickname through long-standing public and governmental use.
Meaning of 'The Tar Heel State'
North Carolina led the world in naval stores production from approximately 1720 to 1870, extracting tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine from vast pine forests. Workers collected sticky sap from pine trees and burned pine boughs to produce tar and pitch used for waterproofing ships. During hot summer months, barefoot laborers often stepped in tar, which led people to call them tar heels. The term originally described difficult manual labor and carried a negative meaning.
The Civil War played a major role in spreading the Tar Heel nickname. In a diary entry dated February 6, 1863, Lieutenant William B. A. Lowrance of the 46th Regiment North Carolina Troops noted the connection between soldiers and the piney woods region. Troops from other states initially used Tar Heel as an insult toward North Carolina soldiers. North Carolinians quickly responded with humor and pride, turning the label into a positive identity.
After the Civil War, Tar Heel became widely accepted across the state. General Robert E. Lee reportedly praised North Carolina troops after their actions at the Battle of Reams Station on August 25, 1864. One of the earliest postwar printed uses appeared in 1866 sheet music titled Wearin' of the Grey, written by Tar Heel. The town of Tar Heel in Bladen County was settled in 1874. The University of North Carolina adopted Tar Heels as its athletic nickname in the late 1800s as organized sports developed.
Other Nicknames
The Old North State
This was North Carolina's earliest nickname and remains the title of the state song and state toast. The name dates to 1710, when the Carolina colony divided into North Carolina and South Carolina. The northern settlement became North Carolina, while the southern portion formed South Carolina. As the older of the two colonies, North Carolina became known as the Old North State. The nickname appears in documents and writings throughout the 1700s and 1800s before Tar Heel became more common after the Civil War.
The Turpentine State
North Carolina earned this nickname because turpentine production from pine trees formed a major industry alongside tar and pitch manufacturing. Longleaf pine forests supplied raw materials for naval stores that supported shipping worldwide. Workers distilled turpentine through a labor-intensive process. Writers sometimes referred to North Carolina residents as Tarboilers because of this industry. The Turpentine State and similar names appeared in 19th-century publications but declined after naval stores production fell in the late 1800s.
Land of the Sky
Western North Carolina's mountain region inspired this nickname because of its high elevations and sweeping views. The Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains include peaks rising above 6,000 feet. Tourism promoters used Land of the Sky in the late 1800s and early 1900s to attract visitors to mountain resorts. The phrase remains closely associated with the Asheville area and surrounding mountains.
The Rip Van Winkle State
This critical nickname appeared in the early 1800s when North Carolina lagged behind neighboring states in transportation and industrial development. The name compared the state to Washington Irving's fictional character Rip Van Winkle, who slept through decades of change. Poor roads, limited railroads, and slow industrial growth contributed to the image. The nickname faded as North Carolina modernized during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Interesting Facts
Fact 1 of 6
The North Carolina nickname and motto both emphasize authenticity and character: Tar Heel reflects pride in hard work, while Esse quam videri means To be rather than to seem.
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Authoritative reference on the origin, evolution, and Civil War history of the Tar Heel nickname.
Official historical information about North Carolina’s state motto and its adoption in 1893.
Supplementary overview of the Tar Heel nickname, including naval stores origins and cultural usage.