US States by first letter offers an easy way to explore every state from A to Z.
Each letter leads to a dedicated article where the focus stays on history, geography, notable events, and fun facts about each state.
Now the entire series sits in one spot, so you can move through the alphabet without jumping around. A complete layout waits below.
Pick any letter and start the journey.
A
There are 4 US states that start with A.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
B
There are no US states that start with B.
C
There are 3 US states that start with C.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
D
There is 1 US state that starts with D.
- Delaware
E
There are no US states that start with E.
F
There is 1 US state that starts with F.
- Florida
G
There is 1 US state that starts with G.
- Georgia
H
There is 1 US state that starts with H.
- Hawaii
I
There are 4 US states that start with I.
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
J
There are no US states that start with J.
K
There are 2 US states that start with K.
- Kansas
- Kentucky
L
There is 1 US state that starts with L.
- Louisiana
M
There are 8 US states that start with M.
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
N
There are 8 US states that start with N.
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
O
There are 3 US states that start with O.
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
P
There is 1 US state that starts with P.
- Pennsylvania
Q
There are no US states that start with Q.
R
There is 1 US state that starts with R.
- Rhode Island
S
There are 4 US states that start with S.
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
T
There are 2 US states that start with T.
- Tennessee
- Texas
U
There is 1 US state that starts with U.
- Utah
V
There are 2 US states that start with V.
- Vermont
- Virginia
W
There are 4 US states that start with W.
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
X
There are no US states that start with X.
Y
There are no US states that start with Y.
Z
There are no US states that start with Z.
US States Basics (Abbreviation, ZIP code, Nickname, and more)
| State | Abbrev | Capital city | ZIP code range | Time zone | Admission order (year) | Nickname | Largest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Montgomery | 350–369 | Central | 22 (1819) | Yellowhammer State | Huntsville |
| Alaska | AK | Juneau | 995–999 | Alaska | 49 (1959) | Last Frontier | Anchorage |
| Arizona | AZ | Phoenix | 850–865 | Mountain | 48 (1912) | Grand Canyon State | Phoenix |
| Arkansas | AR | Little Rock | 716–729 | Central | 25 (1836) | Natural State | Little Rock |
| California | CA | Sacramento | 900–961 | Pacific | 31 (1850) | Golden State | Los Angeles |
| Colorado | CO | Denver | 800–816 | Mountain | 38 (1876) | Centennial State | Denver |
| Connecticut | CT | Hartford | 060–069 | Eastern | 5 (1788) | Constitution State | Bridgeport |
| Delaware | DE | Dover | 197–199 | Eastern | 1 (1787) | First State | Wilmington |
| Florida | FL | Tallahassee | 320–349 | Eastern, Central | 27 (1845) | Sunshine State | Jacksonville |
| Georgia | GA | Atlanta | 300–319, 398–399 | Eastern | 4 (1788) | Peach State | Atlanta |
| Hawaii | HI | Honolulu | 967–968 | Hawaii–Aleutian | 50 (1959) | Aloha State | Honolulu |
| Idaho | ID | Boise | 832–838 | Mountain, Pacific | 43 (1890) | Gem State | Boise |
| Illinois | IL | Springfield | 600–629 | Central | 21 (1818) | Prairie State | Chicago |
| Indiana | IN | Indianapolis | 460–479 | Eastern, Central | 19 (1816) | Hoosier State | Indianapolis |
| Iowa | IA | Des Moines | 500–528 | Central | 29 (1846) | Hawkeye State | Des Moines |
| Kansas | KS | Topeka | 660–679 | Central, Mountain | 34 (1861) | Sunflower State | Wichita |
| Kentucky | KY | Frankfort | 400–427 | Eastern, Central | 15 (1792) | Bluegrass State | Louisville |
| Louisiana | LA | Baton Rouge | 700–715 | Central | 18 (1812) | Pelican State | New Orleans |
| Maine | ME | Augusta | 039–049 | Eastern | 23 (1820) | Pine Tree State | Portland |
| Maryland | MD | Annapolis | 206–219 | Eastern | 7 (1788) | Old Line State | Baltimore |
| Massachusetts | MA | Boston | 010–027 | Eastern | 6 (1788) | Bay State | Boston |
| Michigan | MI | Lansing | 480–499 | Eastern, Central | 26 (1837) | Great Lakes State | Detroit |
| Minnesota | MN | Saint Paul | 550–567 | Central | 32 (1858) | North Star State | Minneapolis |
| Mississippi | MS | Jackson | 386–397 | Central | 20 (1817) | Magnolia State | Jackson |
| Missouri | MO | Jefferson City | 630–658 | Central | 24 (1821) | Show-Me State | Kansas City |
| Montana | MT | Helena | 590–599 | Mountain | 41 (1889) | Treasure State | Billings |
| Nebraska | NE | Lincoln | 680–693 | Central, Mountain | 37 (1867) | Cornhusker State | Omaha |
| Nevada | NV | Carson City | 889–898 | Pacific, Mountain | 36 (1864) | Silver State | Las Vegas |
| New Hampshire | NH | Concord | 030–038 | Eastern | 9 (1788) | Granite State | Manchester |
| New Jersey | NJ | Trenton | 070–089 | Eastern | 3 (1787) | Garden State | Newark |
| New Mexico | NM | Santa Fe | 870–884 | Mountain | 47 (1912) | Land of Enchantment | Albuquerque |
| New York | NY | Albany | 100–149 | Eastern | 11 (1788) | Empire State | New York City |
| North Carolina | NC | Raleigh | 270–289 | Eastern | 12 (1789) | Tar Heel State | Charlotte |
| North Dakota | ND | Bismarck | 580–588 | Central, Mountain | 39 (1889) | Peace Garden State | Fargo |
| Ohio | OH | Columbus | 430–459 | Eastern | 17 (1803) | Buckeye State | Columbus |
| Oklahoma | OK | Oklahoma City | 730–749 | Central, Mountain | 46 (1907) | Sooner State | Oklahoma City |
| Oregon | OR | Salem | 970–979 | Pacific, Mountain | 33 (1859) | Beaver State | Portland |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Harrisburg | 150–196 | Eastern | 2 (1787) | Keystone State | Philadelphia |
| Rhode Island | RI | Providence | 028–029 | Eastern | 13 (1790) | Ocean State | Providence |
| South Carolina | SC | Columbia | 290–299 | Eastern | 8 (1788) | Palmetto State | Charleston |
| South Dakota | SD | Pierre | 570–577 | Central, Mountain | 40 (1889) | Mount Rushmore State | Sioux Falls |
| Tennessee | TN | Nashville | 370–385 | Central, Eastern | 16 (1796) | Volunteer State | Nashville |
| Texas | TX | Austin | 750–799, 885 | Central, Mountain | 28 (1845) | Lone Star State | Houston |
| Utah | UT | Salt Lake City | 840–847 | Mountain | 45 (1896) | Beehive State | Salt Lake City |
| Vermont | VT | Montpelier | 050–059 | Eastern | 14 (1791) | Green Mountain State | Burlington |
| Virginia | VA | Richmond | 201–246 | Eastern | 10 (1788) | Old Dominion State | Virginia Beach |
| Washington | WA | Olympia | 980–994 | Pacific | 42 (1889) | Evergreen State | Seattle |
| West Virginia | WV | Charleston | 247–268 | Eastern | 35 (1863) | Mountain State | Charleston |
| Wisconsin | WI | Madison | 530–549 | Central | 30 (1848) | Badger State | Milwaukee |
| Wyoming | WY | Cheyenne | 820–831 | Mountain | 44 (1890) | Equality State | Cheyenne |
United States Trivia and Fun Facts
- Oregon has a town called Boring. It paired up for fun with Dull in Scotland and Bland in Australia, so people travel there just to take photos with the signs.
- Kentucky uses two time zones. A short drive from one county to another can move the clock by an hour.
- Hawaii is the only state that lists two official languages at the state level, English and Hawaiian.
- Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the states put together.
- Maine has a desert. It is called the Desert of Maine, and it exists because of glacial sand, not heat.
- Oklahoma once handed out land through a lottery followed by a land run. People lined up, a signal sounded, and then they raced to claim plots.
- Alaska counts as the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost state. The Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian, putting part of Alaska on the other side of the globe.
- Four states meet at one single corner. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah touch at the Four Corners Monument, and no other place in the country has that setup.
- Chicago has a river that was engineered to run backward. In 1900, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed to push sewage away from Lake Michigan.
- Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state. The count is over 300 named ranges.
- Vermont bans billboards statewide. Road trips there stay free of big roadside ads.
- Arkansas has a public diamond field where you can dig and keep what you find. Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only place like that in the country.
- Maryland picked jousting as a state sport in 1962. It is still the only state with jousting in that role.
- Rhode Island keeps an old colonial phrase in the full name: Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
- Hawaii has the only royal palace on United States soil. Iolani Palace in Honolulu was home to the Hawaiian monarchy.
- Michigan has the largest freshwater island in the world. Isle Royale sits in Lake Superior and is also a national park.
Final Thoughts
I used the alphabet as a spine, then filled it with the good stuff: facts, more facts, and even more facts that make each state feel like more than a name on a map.