What city is Will Smith's character originally from?

Will Smith’s character, Will Smith, is originally from Philadelphia—specifically West Philadelphia—in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show’s opening rap establishes that background before sending him to live with relatives in Bel-Air, Los Angeles.

The character is a fictionalized version of Smith’s public persona. In the story, Will grows up in a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood and gets into trouble after a confrontation while playing basketball. His mother then sends him across the country to stay with his wealthy aunt and uncle, Philip and Vivian Banks.

The Philadelphia-to-Bel-Air move drives the show’s central contrast. Will’s slang, street smarts, music interests, and casual attitude repeatedly collide with the Banks family’s affluent Los Angeles lifestyle. The city is sometimes shortened to “Philly” in the theme song and dialogue, but Philadelphia is the canonical answer. Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are not part of Will’s established origin story.