Chicago? No.
Derived from Spanish? No.
South of 40? Yes.

Named after a person? No.
Bismarck? No. ( 46°48′30″N > 40°00′00″N)

On an island? No.

On a river? Yes. (*applause*)

ABBFHLLLMNNN (not necessarily in that order)? No.

(and do hint if there's a more interesting way we could be hunting it!)

In Texas? No.
On Route 66? No.
I'm not sure what to offer in the way of hints beyond saying that there is a reason I chose this particular city; it is not just some random city in the US.

My bad, it seems that Philadelphia does possess a sporting team.

Brit name? No. (*some audience laughter*)
Savannah? No.

Hidden text

I believe that Philly is actually one of the few cities with a team in all four of the leagues Tuj mentioned. :)

In the title of quite a few songs, hmm.

Initially stately vowelly? No.

Hidden text

The song route may or may not be helpful. I had heard of maybe one of the songs with the city in its title (and I had not heard of the song that is in fact most famous). The AOTC-related song that I know best names the city in its first line, but not in the title.

Named after geographical feature? I think the best answer is Yes, though I am using a broad definition of “geographical feature”. (It’s not as obviously a g.f. as, say, Little Rock, if that’s what you were thinking of.)

New Orleans? No. (*Applause, and also some muttered and inconclusive discussion about whether New Orleans had already been ruled out by Radox's island question*)

New Mexico? No. (*a little audience laughter, not so much for the question as for the questioner*)

Hidden text

[KS] Entirely friendly laughter, I promise. :)

It wouldn't happen to be Lake Charles, would it? The city, I mean, not the AOTC.

Closer to Canada? Yes.
Lake Charles? No. (*more applause*)

City in the US lower 48, on a river but not on an island, south of 40°N, not in a state starting with a vowel nor in New Mexico nor in Texas, does not begin with 'P', is not named after a person nor in Spanish nor a version of an existing British town, but the name is vaguely geographical and there are songs about it. It also possesses no team in any major US league of sporting mayhem, but has a specific reason for CdM to pick it.

[Bismarck] Excellent summary. :)
In the Confederacy? Yes.
Two-word name? Yes. (*applause*)

Don't really want it to be.