50 US States in Alphabetical Order: List of States in USA

Whether you need a list of all 50 states of the United States of America for a school project or a Sporcle quiz, we’ve got you covered. There are a lot of state lists out there, but we wanted to provide you with a list of state names organized in several common ways so that you can quickly get the answer to the question you are asking.

All 50 States Listed in Alphabetical Order

Below is a list of all 50 state names listed alphabetically in a column:

Other 50 States Lists

Here’s the same list of states in USA without numbers so that you can easily copy and paste it:

Copy List

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Comma-Separated States List of States in the USA

Here is a comma-separated list of all 50 states listed alphabetically:

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Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Comma-Separated States List With Quotes

Some use cases (like programming or database queries) also require quotes around the states:

Copy List

“Alabama”,”Alaska”,”Arizona”,”Arkansas”,”California”,”Colorado”,”Connecticut”,”Delaware”,”Florida”,”Georgia”,”Hawaii”,”Idaho”,”Illinois”,”Indiana”,”Iowa”,”Kansas”,”Kentucky”,”Louisiana”,”Maine”,”Maryland”,”Massachusetts”,”Michigan”,”Minnesota”,”Mississippi”,”Missouri”,”Montana”,”Nebraska”,”Nevada”,”New Hampshire”,”New Jersey”,”New Mexico”,”New York”,”North Carolina”,”North Dakota”,”Ohio”,”Oklahoma”,”Oregon”,”Pennsylvania”,”Rhode Island”,”South Carolina”,”South Dakota”,”Tennessee”,”Texas”,”Utah”,”Vermont”,”Virginia”,”Washington”,”West Virginia”,”Wisconsin”,”Wyoming”

Select and Options for States Dropdown List in HTML

<select id="states_list">
<option value="Alabama">Alabama</option>
<option value="Alaska">Alaska</option>
<option value="Arizona">Arizona</option>
<option value="Arkansas">Arkansas</option>
<option value="California">California</option>
<option value="Colorado">Colorado</option>
<option value="Connecticut">Connecticut</option>
<option value="Delaware">Delaware</option>
<option value="Florida">Florida</option>
<option value="Georgia">Georgia</option>
<option value="Hawaii">Hawaii</option>
<option value="Idaho">Idaho</option>
<option value="Illinois">Illinois</option>
<option value="Indiana">Indiana</option>
<option value="Iowa">Iowa</option>
<option value="Kansas">Kansas</option>
<option value="Kentucky">Kentucky</option>
<option value="Louisiana">Louisiana</option>
<option value="Maine">Maine</option>
<option value="Maryland">Maryland</option>
<option value="Massachusetts">Massachusetts</option>
<option value="Michigan">Michigan</option>
<option value="Minnesota">Minnesota</option>
<option value="Mississippi">Mississippi</option>
<option value="Missouri">Missouri</option>
<option value="Montana">Montana</option>
<option value="Nebraska">Nebraska</option>
<option value="Nevada">Nevada</option>
<option value="New Hampshire">New Hampshire</option>
<option value="New Jersey">New Jersey</option>
<option value="New Mexico">New Mexico</option>
<option value="New York">New York</option>
<option value="North Carolina">North Carolina</option>
<option value="North Dakota">North Dakota</option>
<option value="Ohio">Ohio</option>
<option value="Oklahoma">Oklahoma</option>
<option value="Oregon">Oregon</option>
<option value="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</option>
<option value="Rhode Island">Rhode Island</option>
<option value="South Carolina">South Carolina</option>
<option value="South Dakota">South Dakota</option>
<option value="Tennessee">Tennessee</option>
<option value="Texas">Texas</option>
<option value="Utah">Utah</option>
<option value="Vermont">Vermont</option>
<option value="Virginia">Virginia</option>
<option value="Washington">Washington</option>
<option value="West Virginia">West Virginia</option>
<option value="Wisconsin">Wisconsin</option>
<option value="Wyoming">Wyoming</option>
</select>

Alphabetical List of All 50 States Numbered

If you’re instead looking for a list of all 50 states listed by number, this is the list for you. For example, you can find that Iowa is the 15th alphabetical state.

Copy List

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. Florida
10. Georgia
11. Hawaii
12. Idaho
13. Illinois
14. Indiana
15. Iowa
16. Kansas
17. Kentucky
18. Louisiana
19. Maine
20. Maryland
21. Massachusetts
22. Michigan
23. Minnesota
24. Mississippi
25. Missouri
26. Montana
27. Nebraska
28. Nevada
29. New Hampshire
30. New Jersey
31. New Mexico
32. New York
33. North Carolina
34. North Dakota
35. Ohio
36. Oklahoma
37. Oregon
38. Pennsylvania
39. Rhode Island
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. Tennessee
43. Texas
44. Utah
45. Vermont
46. Virginia
47. Washington
48. West Virginia
49. Wisconsin
50. Wyoming

US Territories in Order

The most well-known US territories are as follows:

• American Samoa: An unincorporated U.S. territory, American Samoa is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, known for its traditional Samoan culture and tropical landscape.
• Guam: Guam is an organized territory of the United States in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific, renowned for its strategic military significance and rich Chamorro culture.
• Northern Mariana Islands: The Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific Ocean, are known for their scenic beauty, World War II history, and a blend of Chamorro, Carolinian, and American cultures.
• Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico, an unincorporated U.S. territory, is a Caribbean island known for its vibrant culture, tropical climate, and historical colonial architecture.
• U.S. Virgin Islands: The U.S. Virgin Islands, an unincorporated U.S. territory in the Caribbean, are known for their beautiful beaches, reef-lined islands, and rich cultural heritage.

The US also owns many territories around the world located in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Several of these are unincorporated, unorganized territories which means they are just administrative districts. Here are all of the US territories in alphabetical order:

• American Samoa
• Baker Island
• Guam
• Howland Island
• Jarvis Island
• Johnston Atoll
• Kingman Reef
• Midway Atoll
• Navassa Island
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palmyra Atoll
• Puerto Rico
• US Virgin Islands
• Wake Island

Federal Districts

• District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.): The District of Columbia, not a state but a unique federal district, is the capital of the United States and home to iconic landmarks and government institutions.

List of States by Year of Admission to the Union

Delaware (1787)
Pennsylvania (1787)
New Jersey (1787)
Georgia (1788)
Connecticut (1788)
Massachusetts (1788)
Maryland (1788)
South Carolina (1788)
New Hampshire (1788)
Virginia (1788)
New York (1788)
North Carolina (1789)
Rhode Island (1790)
Vermont (1791)
Kentucky (1792)
Tennessee (1796)
Ohio (1803)
Louisiana (1812)
Indiana (1816)
Mississippi (1817)
Illinois (1818)
Alabama (1819)
Maine (1820)
Missouri (1821)
Arkansas (1836)
Michigan (1837)
Florida (1845)
Texas (1845)
Iowa (1846)
Wisconsin (1848)
California (1850)
Minnesota (1858)
Oregon (1859)
Kansas (1861)
West Virginia (1863)
Nevada (1864)
Nebraska (1867)
Colorado (1876)
North Dakota (1889)
South Dakota (1889)
Montana (1889)
Washington (1889)
Idaho (1890)
Wyoming (1890)
Utah (1896)
Oklahoma (1907)
New Mexico (1912)
Arizona (1912)
Alaska (1959)
Hawaii (1959)

States by the First Letter

If you’re playing a game that requires you to know the first letter of a state, here you go.

States That Start With “A”

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas

States That Start With “C”

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut

States That Start With “D”

• Delaware

States That Start With “F”

• Florida

States That Start With “G”

• Georgia

States That Start With “H”

• Hawaii

States That Start With “I”

• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa

States That Start With “K”

• Kansas
• Kentucky

States That Start With “L”

• Louisiana

States That Start With “M”

• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana

States That Start With “N”

• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota

States That Start With “O”

• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon

States That Start With “P”

• Pennsylvania

States That Start With “R”

• Rhode Island

States That Start With “S”

• South Carolina
• South Dakota

States That Start With “T”

• Tennessee
• Texas

States That Start With “U”

• Utah

States That Start With “V”

• Vermont
• Virginia

States That Start With “W”

• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

States by the Last Letter

If you’re playing a game that requires you to know the last letter of a state, here you go. States only end in a, d, e, g, h, i, j, n, o, s, t, or y.

States That End in “A”

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
California
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Virginia
West Virginia

States That End in “D”

Maryland
Rhode Island

States That End in “E”

Delaware
Maine
New Hampshire
Tennessee

States That End in “G”

Wyoming

States That End in “H”

Utah

States That End in “I”

Hawaii
Mississippi
Missouri

States That End in “K”

New York

States That End in “N”

Michigan
Oregon
Washington
Wisconsin

States That End in “O”

Colorado
Idaho
New Mexico
Ohio

States That End in “S”

Arkansas
Illinois
Kansas
Massachusetts
Texas

States That End in “T”

Connecticut
Vermont

States That End in “Y”

Kentucky
New Jersey

State Abbreviations in Order

If you just want a list of the official state abbreviations in order that are used by the postal service, then this is what you need.

State	Abbreviation
Alabama	AL
Alaska	AK
Arizona	AZ
Arkansas	AR
California	CA
Colorado	CO
Connecticut	CT
Delaware	DE
Florida	FL
Georgia	GA
Hawaii	HI
Idaho	ID
Illinois	IL
Indiana	IN
Iowa	IA
Kansas	KS
Kentucky	KY
Louisiana	LA
Maine	ME
Maryland	MD
Massachusetts	MA
Michigan	MI
Minnesota	MN
Mississippi	MS
Missouri	MO
Montana	MT
Nebraska	NE
Nevada	NV
New Hampshire	NH
New Jersey	NJ
New Mexico	NM
New York	NY
North Carolina	NC
North Dakota	ND
Ohio	OH
Oklahoma	OK
Oregon	OR
Pennsylvania	PA
Rhode Island	RI
South Carolina	SC
South Dakota	SD
Tennessee	TN
Texas	TX
Utah	UT
Vermont	VT
Virginia	VA
Washington	WA
West Virginia	WV
Wisconsin	WI
Wyoming	WY

Copy List

• AK
• AL
• AR
• AZ
• CA
• CO
• CT
• DE
• FL
• GA
• HI
• IA
• ID
• IL
• IN
• KS
• KY
• LA
• MA
• MD
• ME
• MI
• MN
• MO
• MS
• MT
• NC
• ND
• NE
• NH
• NJ
• NM
• NV
• NY
• OH
• OK
• OR
• PA
• RI
• SC
• SD
• TN
• TX
• UT
• VA
• VT
• WA
• WI
• WV
• WY

Here’s that same list in a comma-separated list.

Copy List

AK,AL,AR,AZ,CA,CO,CT,DE,FL,GA,HI,IA,ID,IL,IN,KS,KY,LA,MA,MD,ME,MI,MN,MO,MS,MT,NC,ND,NE,NH,NJ,NM,NV,NY,OH,OK,OR,PA,RI,SC,SD,TN,TX,UT,VA,VT,WA,WI,WV,WY

State Capitals in Order

• Albany (New York)
• Annapolis (Maryland)
• Atlanta (Georgia)
• Augusta (Maine)
• Austin (Texas)
• Baton Rouge (Louisiana)
• Bismarck (North Dakota)
• Boise (Idaho)
• Boston (Massachusetts)
• Carson City (Nevada)
• Charleston (West Virginia)
• Cheyenne (Wyoming)
• Columbia (South Carolina)
• Columbus (Ohio)
• Concord (New Hampshire)
• Denver (Colorado)
• Des Moines (Iowa)
• Dover (Delaware)
• Frankfort (Kentucky)
• Harrisburg (Pennsylvania)
• Hartford (Connecticut)
• Helena (Montana)
• Honolulu (Hawaii)
• Indianapolis (Indiana)
• Jackson (Mississippi)
• Jefferson City (Missouri)
• Juneau (Alaska)
• Lansing (Michigan)
• Lincoln (Nebraska)
• Little Rock (Arkansas)
• Madison (Wisconsin)
• Montgomery (Alabama)
• Montpelier (Vermont)
• Nashville (Tennessee)
• Oklahoma City (Oklahoma)
• Olympia (Washington)
• Phoenix (Arizona)
• Pierre (South Dakota)
• Providence (Rhode Island)
• Raleigh (North Carolina)
• Richmond (Virginia)
• Sacramento (California)
• Salem (Oregon)
• Salt Lake City (Utah)
• Santa Fe (New Mexico)
• Springfield (Illinois)
• St. Paul (Minnesota)
• Tallahassee (Florida)
• Topeka (Kansas)
• Trenton (New Jersey)

List of State Capitals by State

State	Capital
Alabama	Montgomery
Alaska	Juneau
Arizona	Phoenix
Arkansas	Little Rock
California	Sacramento
Colorado	Denver
Connecticut	Hartford
Delaware	Dover
Florida	Tallahassee
Georgia	Atlanta
Hawaii	Honolulu
Idaho	Boise
Illinois	Springfield
Indiana	Indianapolis
Iowa	Des Moines
Kansas	Topeka
Kentucky	Frankfort
Louisiana	Baton Rouge
Maine	Augusta
Maryland	Annapolis
Massachusetts	Boston
Michigan	Lansing
Minnesota	Saint Paul
Mississippi	Jackson
Missouri	Jefferson City
Montana	Helena
Nebraska	Lincoln
Nevada	Carson City
New Hampshire	Concord
New Jersey	Trenton
New Mexico	Santa Fe
New York	Albany
North Carolina	Raleigh
North Dakota	Bismarck
Ohio	Columbus
Oklahoma	Oklahoma City
Oregon	Salem
Pennsylvania	Harrisburg
Rhode Island	Providence
South Carolina	Columbia
South Dakota	Pierre
Tennessee	Nashville
Texas	Austin
Utah	Salt Lake City
Vermont	Montpelier
Virginia	Richmond
Washington	Olympia
West Virginia	Charleston
Wisconsin	Madison
Wyoming	Cheyenne

Largest Cities in Alphabetical Order

The following list of the largest cities in each state is sorted alphabetically.

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Anchorage, Alaska
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Billings, Montana
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Boise, Idaho
• Boston, Massachusetts[
• Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Burlington, Vermont
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Charleston, West Virginia
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Cheyenne, Wyoming
• Chicago, Illinois
• Columbus, Ohio
• Denver, Colorado
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Detroit, Michigan
• Fargo, North Dakota
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Houston, Texas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Jackson, Mississippi
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Los Angeles, California
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Manchester, New Hampshire
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Nashville, Tennessee
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• New York City, New York
• Newark, New Jersey
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Omaha, Nebraska
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Portland, Maine
• Portland, Oregon
• Providence, Rhode Island
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle, Washington
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Wichita, Kansas
• Wilmington, Delaware

Resources for Teachers

Fill-in-the-Blank State Worksheets

See on Teachers Pay Teachers

FAQs

What Were the Original 13 Colonies?

The original 13 colonies of the United States were:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Virginia

Is Washington, D.C. Considered a State?

No, currently Washington, D.C. is not considered a state so we did not include it in the list of 50 states above.

Does the United States Have 52 states?

No. The United States only has 50 states. Sometimes, people get confused and think that Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are states. Puerto Rico has no congressional representation, and Washington D.C.’s delegate can only vote on procedural matters and in congressional committees, not on the House floor.

What Is the Largest State?

The largest state in the United States by area is Alaska. With a total area of approximately 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 square kilometers), Alaska is significantly larger than the next largest state, Texas, and is more than twice the size of Texas. Alaska’s vast size encompasses a wide range of geographical features, including mountains, forests, and coastlines, and it is known for its natural beauty and wilderness.

What Is the Smallest State?

The smallest state in the United States by area is Rhode Island. It has an area of about 1,214 square miles (3,144 square kilometers). Despite its small size, Rhode Island, officially known as the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, has a rich history and is known for its sandy shores and seaside Colonial towns. It was one of the original 13 colonies and was the last of them to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

What States Are Commonwealths?

In the United States, the term “commonwealth” refers to a political designation. Four states in the United States have adopted the term “commonwealth” as part of their official state name:

1. Kentucky – Officially known as the “Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
2. Massachusetts – Officially known as the “Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
3. Pennsylvania – Officially known as the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
4. Virginia – Officially known as the “Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The designation “commonwealth” does not imply any specific legal status or difference compared to other states. The term is more historical and symbolic than it is a practical distinction. All commonwealths function under the same legal status as any other state in the United States.

What Is the Capital of the Only U.S. State That Ends With the Letter G?

The only state that ends with “g” is Wyoming, and the capital is Cheyenne.

What Are the American Territories?

Territory	Abbreviation
American Samoa	AS
Guam	GU
Northern Mariana Islands	MP
Puerto Rico	PR
Virgin Islands	VI

What Is the Most Populous State?

California is the most populous state with an estimated 40.2MM people followed by Texas with an estimated 30.3MM people.

The top 5 most populous states according to World Population Review are:

1. California — 40,223,504
2. Texas — 30,345,487
3. Florida — 22,359,251
4. New York — 20,448,194
5. Pennsylvania — 13,092,796

Is There a Song to Remember the States in Order?

Yes, there are several songs to help you remember the states in order, but our favorite is the Schoolhouse Rock version:

The License Plate Car Game

A fun game to play in the car involves looking for license plates from each state. The easiest way to play this game is that everyone looks for license plates on cars and earns a point when they see a license plate from another state than the one they are in. Each state can only be counted once. Depending on how competitive the players are, some people prefer to award points only to the first player to see a particular license plate. The game ends at a predetermined time (end of the car ride, a set timeframe, or a break) and the player with the most points wins.

Related: Continents and Countries in Alphabetical Order