Geography

Land area, climate, terrain, and natural features compared across all 50 states.

47 Articles

Aerial view of forested Appalachian ridgelines in West Virginia at sunrise

Appalachian States

13 states form Appalachia under ARC. Full list, 423 counties, subregions, and why West Virginia is the only fully Appalachian state.

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Life.Church campus in Oklahoma with a large modern church building and parking area

Bible Belt States

Mississippi ranks among the most religious states. See the 9 core Bible Belt states, 7 sometimes included states, and the full map.

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Cotton field stretching across the Mississippi Delta in Coahoma County under a broad summer sky

Black Belt States

Mississippi has the most Black Belt counties (24). The region spans 11 southern states in a crescent from Virginia to Texas.

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Hearst Castle on its hilltop in San Simeon with twin towers, white walls, and terraced gardens

Castles by State

New York's Lyndhurst (1838) is the oldest U.S. castle. 18 states have a notable castle; 32 have none. Hearst Castle, Biltmore, Coral Castle.

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The Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond, which served as the Confederate Capitol from May 1861 to April 1865, with the George Washington equestrian statue in the foreground

Confederate States

South Carolina seceded first on December 20, 1860. See all 11 Confederate states, their secession dates, and why the flag had 13 stars.

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Aerial view of Iowa cornfields in midsummer, showing a geometric grid of green fields extending to the horizon

Corn Belt States

Iowa leads U.S. corn production at about 2.4 billion bushels. See the core Corn Belt states, the wider list, and the production map.

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Cotton field in full bloom in the Mississippi Delta, with white bolls ready for harvest against a flat horizon

Cotton Belt States

Mississippi and Alabama anchor the historic Cotton Belt. See the core states, the wider list, and how Texas fits the region today.

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Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery with its white dome and columned facade

Deep South States

5 states form the Deep South core. See the main list, the broader contested states, and how the Deep South differs from the Upper South.

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Map of the United States showing the deepest lakes ranked by maximum depth, with Crater Lake, Oregon marked at 1,943 feet as the deepest lake in the US

Deepest Lakes in the US

Crater Lake, Oregon (1,943 ft) is the deepest lake in the U.S. Ranked list of deepest lakes by state with maximum depth, map, and key facts.

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Aerial view of the Four Corners Monument showing the brass disk and concrete plaza at the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Four Corners States

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet at Four Corners. See the monument map, coordinates, state order, and border history.

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Chicago skyline viewed from Lake Michigan, showing the city's shoreline along the southern end of the lake

Great Lakes States

Michigan borders 4 of the 5 Great Lakes. See all 8 Great Lakes states, shoreline miles, and which lake each state touches.

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Map of the United States showing the highest point in each state by elevation

Highest Point in Each U.S. State

Highest point in every U.S. state with elevations in feet and meters. Denali leads at 20,310 ft; Florida's Britton Hill is lowest.

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Aerial view of the Nebraska Great Plains showing miles of flat farmland with no water visible in any direction

Landlocked States

27 U.S. states have no ocean coastline. See the full list, double-landlocked tiers, and why Nebraska is the most landlocked state.

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Aerial view of the Chesapeake Bay shoreline with tidal marshes, bridges, and the Maryland coast

Mid-Atlantic States

The Mid-Atlantic States are New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, reflected in the Mississippi River at dusk with the city skyline behind it

Midwest States

The Midwest is divided into East North Central and West North Central subregions, with five and seven states respectively.

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Aerial view of the Mississippi River winding through a flat floodplain with forested banks and farmland on both sides

Mississippi River States

The Mississippi River flows through or borders 10 states from Minnesota to Louisiana. Full list with river miles per state and major cities.

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Vermont hillside covered in red, orange, and yellow fall foliage with a white church steeple in the valley below

New England States

6 states make up New England. See the full list, map, area rankings, and why Vermont is the only one with no Atlantic coast.

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Manhattan skyline viewed from the Hudson River, showing the dense tower cluster of Midtown and Lower Manhattan

Northeast States

The Northeast includes nine states, led by New York in population, with six New England states plus New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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Map infographic showing the oldest city in each U.S. state by founding year

Oldest City in Each U.S. State

Oldest city in each U.S. state by founding year. St. Augustine, FL (1565) is America's oldest continuously occupied city.

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Mount Rainier reflected in a subalpine lake in Washington State, surrounded by old-growth forest

Pacific Northwest States

The Pacific Northwest is usually centered on Washington and Oregon, with Idaho and nearby states sometimes included in broader definitions.

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Choropleth map of the United States shaded by how many Rhode Islands fit inside each state

How Many Rhode Islands Could Fit Inside Each U.S. State

Alaska fits 551.9 Rhode Islands by land area. Texas fits 253.3. Every state compared to Rhode Island, the smallest at 1,034 sq mi.

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Buffalo, New York street buried under several feet of lake-effect snow from Lake Erie, with cars barely visible

Snow Belt States

The Snow Belt covers 16 northern states with heavy winter snowfall. Lake-effect zones by state, full state list, and map.

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Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee, lit up at night with neon signs on honky-tonks and live music venues

South States

16 states are commonly grouped in the South here. See the full list, regional map, and why Delaware and West Virginia are the main outliers.

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Atlanta skyline viewed from Piedmont Park, showing the towers of Midtown Georgia against a blue sky with Centennial Olympic Park visible

Southeast States

7 states appear in nearly every Southeast definition. See the core list, the broader 11-state version, and the regional map.

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The red sandstone mittens and buttes of Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border at sunrise, on Navajo Nation land

Southwest States

Arizona and New Mexico are the core Southwest states. Texas, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado are often included for specific subregions.

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Map of the United States showing each state capital's elevation above sea level

Highest State Capitals by Elevation

Santa Fe, New Mexico is the highest U.S. state capital at 7,199 feet, with all 50 capitals ranked by elevation.

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Map infographic highlighting the 33 U.S. state capitals that are not the largest city in their state

State Capitals Not Largest Cities

In 33 states, the state capital is not the largest city. Many capitals were chosen for geography, politics, history, or central location.

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All 50 U.S. state names listed and colored by letter count, from Massachusetts at 13 letters to Iowa, Ohio, and Utah at 4

Longest and Shortest State Names

Massachusetts, North Carolina, and South Carolina have the longest state names at 13 letters. Iowa, Ohio, and Utah are shortest at 4.

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Map of the United States highlighting all 13 states that share a border with Canada

US States That Border Canada

Thirteen U.S. states border Canada, from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes and New England.

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Map of the United States highlighting the 4 states that share a border with Mexico: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

US States That Border Mexico

Four U.S. states border Mexico, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

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Map of all 50 U.S. states shaded by percentage of straight surveyed borders versus natural borders

States Ranked by Straight Line Borders

Colorado has the most geometric state borders in the US, with straight lines forming nearly all of its boundary.

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Alaska fjord coastline with snow-covered mountains descending into blue coastal water

Coastline of the United States

Alaska has 6,640 miles of ocean coastline, nearly five times as long as Florida's 1,350 miles.

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Choropleth map of all 50 U.S. states shaded by land area from largest to smallest

States Ranked by Land Area

Alaska has the largest land area in the United States, while Rhode Island has the smallest.

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A-to-Z chart of all 26 letters showing how many U.S. states start with each, with M and N highlighted at 8 states each

Most Common State Name Letters

M and N are the most common starting letters for U.S. state names, with eight states each.

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U.S. map showing the capital city of each state

50 States and Capitals List

A printable list of all 50 U.S. states and capitals, alphabetized by capital city with a table and map.

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U.S. map showing how many other states each state borders

States by Number of Borders

Missouri and Tennessee have the most bordering states, with eight neighbors each. Alaska and Hawaii have none.

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Map of the United States showing resident names and demonyms for all 50 states

What People From Each State Are Called

A list of resident names for all 50 U.S. states, from Alabamians to Wyomingites, with a sortable table and map.

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U.S. map showing which states are divided by two time zones

States Split by Two Time Zones

Fourteen U.S. states are split between two time zones, including Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaii time zones.

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Yosemite Valley seen from Taft Point at dusk — California leads the nation with 9 national parks

States With the Most National Parks

California has the most national parks of any U.S. state, with nine. Alaska has eight, and Utah has five.

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Map of the United States showing average annual snow days by state, with the Southeast and Hawaii highlighted as the least snowy region

States With No Snow

Hawaii and Florida average fewer than 1 snow day per year. All 50 states ranked by annual snow days, snowfall, and snowpack.

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Halemaumau lava lake glowing red in the crater of Kilauea volcano at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

States With Volcanoes

Alaska has 130 potentially active volcanoes, more than any other state. Hawaii has the only currently erupting ones. 13 states total.

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Phoenix skyline at dusk with the Sonoran Desert and saguaro cactus in the foreground

Sun Belt States

The Sun Belt includes 15 southern states, stretching from Virginia and Florida in the Southeast to Nevada in the Southwest.

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Infographic ranking the tallest buildings by U.S. state

Tallest Building By State

Tallest building in each U.S. state, with name, height, city, and year completed. One World Trade Center leads at 1,776 ft.

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Mount Rainier in Washington state reflected in a wildflower-filled meadow lake at sunrise, with snow on the summit

West States

The Western United States includes 13 states across the Pacific Coast, Mountain West, Alaska, and Hawaii.

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Desert buttes and open frontier landscape in the American West

Wild West States

Wild West states are linked to frontier history, cowboys, mining towns, Native American lands, and the expansion of the American West.

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Map of the United States showing average annual wind speed by state, with the Great Plains and Mountain West highlighted as the windiest region

Windiest States in the U.S.

South Dakota ranks as the windiest state, with all 50 U.S. states compared by average wind speed, map, and key reasons.

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All 50 U.S. state names listed and colored by number of letters, from Massachusetts at 13 to Iowa, Ohio, and Utah at 4

Number of Letters in State Names

See the number of letters in each U.S. state name, including the longest state names, shortest state names, and a full 50-state table.

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