A split-level underwater and above-water view of a tropical lake, featuring a large leaning palm tree, clear turquoise water, and a blue sky with green trees in the distance.

Forget “The Sunshine State” - Florida Needs Rebranding

The Florida Legislature officially adopted the nickname "The Sunshine State" in 1970. However, New Mexico has more days of sunshine per year than us - and they were stamping the claim on their license plates decades before we ever did. So if sunshine is what people want, they'd go to New Mexico, right?

Florida's population is 23.5 million with a slim 2 million calling New Mexico home. Our state's economy is ranked 4th in the nation - New Mexico is far behind with a ranking of 42nd. There are 22 Fortune 500 companies between our shores and 0 in New Mexico. And take it for what it's worth, but our state is booming with more than 900 Starbucks compared to around 100 in New Mexico. And who doesn’t love Buc-ees? Florida is winning two to nothing. Apparently, this comparison is apples to our sweet Florida oranges!

Are we the Frappuccino State? The Palm Tree State? The Beach State?

So if it's not our sunshine - what makes Florida so damn great? 

  • 1,350 miles of coastline - 2nd to Alaska & more than California

  • 30,000 lakes and one of the nation's largest, Lake Okeechobee

  • our world renowned "River of Grass" - the Florida Everglades

  • the most artesian springs and spring-fed rivers on the planet

  • 26,000 miles of rivers including the 310 mile St. Johns River

  • one of the world's largest estuaries - the Indian River Lagoon

Any ideas yet? We can go on....

  • the largest manatee habitat on the planet in Kings Bay

  • the largest mermaid industry in the world

  • our world famous John Pennekamp Reef

  • more than 1.2 million recreational boats

  • the Weeki Wachee underwater theatre

  • the Floridan & Biscayne Aquifers

  • 663 miles of beautiful beaches

  • the Tampa & Biscayne Bays

  • the Florida Keys

That's it - we have more water than New Mexico!

Underwater shot of two people snorkeling in clear blue water.

We're not The Sunshine State - we're The Water State™! How could the state legislators have gotten it so wrong? Florida has more damn swimmable and fishable waters than anywhere on the planet! 

So why the heck have we been stamping every license plate with "Sunshine State" for the last six decades? Matter of fact, isn't it lazy for our state to claim the sun as our own, when it is 92.6 million miles away and shared by everyone on the planet? And think about it - claiming a natural resource we have no control over may have caused us to take for granted the beautiful waters lapping at our feet.

Damn the luck, maybe things would have been different if we had originally claimed (and acted/protected) "The Water State™". However, we did some research and found that the tourism industry knew what mattered most as they have been making our waters the prime attraction for a long time (see video below). Tourism is one Florida’s largest economic drivers pumping 134 billion dollars annually into our water-dependent economy. 

Matter of fact 143.5 million tourists visited our blue state in 2025. (No need to even guess New Mexico’s visitor numbers in 2025.) So, what did all those Florida tourists do while they were here? Sort through any one of Visit Florida's Travel Guides and you'll find 90% of tourists enjoying our waters.

Millions of tourists come here to see, to feel, to submerge in, to float on, to fish in, and to be surrounded by our water! Nowhere else in this nation or on this planet will you find as diverse an outdoor tourism industry with more swimmable and fishable waters!

Florida has more glass-bottom boats and clear kayak tours than anywhere on the planet...

Ok. Ok. Enough about the millions of tourists that we love so much.  What about us locals? What do we want our state to be defined by? New Mexico can keep their sunshine. Our culture, our lives revolve around the water at our feet. Matter of fact 90% of our Floridians (20 million) get their drinking water from two of the most relied-upon and unique aquifers on the planet - the Floridan and Biscayne Aquifers. And speaking of the Floridan Aquifer - it is one of the most productive and beautiful on this earth. In north-central Florida the Floridan feeds nearly a thousand springs gushing out pure crystal-clear blue waters from the underground caves. There’s simply nowhere else like it.

Florida has waters so clear we have an underwater theatre AND an underwater national park.

Culture? What is our Florida life without fishing, diving, snorkeling, boating, beaching, surfing, paddling? How many Florida communities are dependent on the water resources for tourism, food, property values, aesthetics, quality of life, entertainment, industry, commerce, and recreation? How many seafood festivals are there in the state - clams, oysters, stone crabs, blue crabs, lobster, fiddler crabs, crawfish, and shrimp to name a few! How many fishing tournaments are held all across our state? What other state has the title "Fishing Capital of the World"?

We can go on but there's no need to - our waters truly make our state the best in the Union and on the planet!

The views expressed in this article do not represent the views of the advertisers, state or federal government agencies, or the content providers featured on this site. This article was originally published 2018 Copyright Play Hard Florida, LLC.    

© 2026 The Water State. All Rights Reserved.

Share: