Interactive US map
Tap any of the 50 states to see its capital, population, size and neighbours. Switch the shading to see where people live, which states are biggest, and how the Census Bureau groups them.
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The 50 states at a glance
The United States has 50 states, one federal district (Washington, D.C.) and five inhabited territories. The first state was Delaware, which ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787. Hawaii became the 50th in 1959.
Looking something up? These references cover the common questions: states and capitals, state abbreviations, states by size, states by population, US time zones and US regions. Ready to test yourself? Try the 50 states quiz.
All 50 states
- ALAlabamaMontgomery
- AKAlaskaJuneau
- AZArizonaPhoenix
- ARArkansasLittle Rock
- CACaliforniaSacramento
- COColoradoDenver
- CTConnecticutHartford
- DEDelawareDover
- FLFloridaTallahassee
- GAGeorgiaAtlanta
- HIHawaiiHonolulu
- IDIdahoBoise
- ILIllinoisSpringfield
- INIndianaIndianapolis
- IAIowaDes Moines
- KSKansasTopeka
- KYKentuckyFrankfort
- LALouisianaBaton Rouge
- MEMaineAugusta
- MDMarylandAnnapolis
- MAMassachusettsBoston
- MIMichiganLansing
- MNMinnesotaSaint Paul
- MSMississippiJackson
- MOMissouriJefferson City
- MTMontanaHelena
- NENebraskaLincoln
- NVNevadaCarson City
- NHNew HampshireConcord
- NJNew JerseyTrenton
- NMNew MexicoSanta Fe
- NYNew YorkAlbany
- NCNorth CarolinaRaleigh
- NDNorth DakotaBismarck
- OHOhioColumbus
- OKOklahomaOklahoma City
- OROregonSalem
- PAPennsylvaniaHarrisburg
- RIRhode IslandProvidence
- SCSouth CarolinaColumbia
- SDSouth DakotaPierre
- TNTennesseeNashville
- TXTexasAustin
- UTUtahSalt Lake City
- VTVermontMontpelier
- VAVirginiaRichmond
- WAWashingtonOlympia
- WVWest VirginiaCharleston
- WIWisconsinMadison
- WYWyomingCheyenne
Frequently asked questions
How many states are in the US?
There are 50 states. The last two admitted were Alaska (January 3, 1959) and Hawaii (August 21, 1959). Washington, D.C. is a federal district, not a state, and territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam are not states either.
Why are Alaska and Hawaii shown in boxes?
Alaska and Hawaii are far from the other 48 states, so US maps usually move them into insets. On this map (Albers USA projection) Alaska is also shrunk to about a third of its true scale. In reality it is more than twice the size of Texas.
What is the biggest state? What is the smallest?
Alaska is the biggest at 665,384 square miles; Rhode Island is the smallest at 1,545 square miles. By population, California (39.5 million in 2020) is the largest and Wyoming (576,851) the smallest.
What are the lower 48 and the contiguous United States?
The contiguous United States is the 48 states that touch each other, plus D.C. "Lower 48" is the same idea, a term popular in Alaska. The continental US adds Alaska, since it sits on the North American continent too.