Capitalize City and State After or Before a Proper Name
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize the words City and State whenever they follow the proper name of a city or state. Capitalize City and State when they precede the name and refer to a governing entity capable of hiring, firing, and conducting business. When the word city or state appears later without the proper name, do not capitalize it.
Examples
A. I was employed by the city of Springfield for ten years.
A. I was employed by the City of Springfield for ten years.
City is capitalized when it precedes the name and refers to a governing entity.
A. I worked for the City for ten years after that.
A. I worked for the city for ten years after that.
When the proper name is dropped and only the generic word remains, lowercase it.
Transcript Notes
If a specific state is named and then referred to again as just 'state,' the capital is not used. The same logic applies to any entity: once the proper name is dropped and only a generic term remains, lowercase it. Some veteran court reporters have a tradition of capitalizing 'state,' and they may want to continue it.
Style Guide References (2)
Morson's
Morson's