Here are all 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order. This format is useful for checking spelling, making worksheets, practicing abbreviations and confirming that no state has been missed.
The 50 states in alphabetical order
- 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
States and postal abbreviations
| 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 |
Is alphabetical order the best way to learn the states?
It is useful for reference, but not usually for geography. Alphabetical neighbors are rarely geographic neighbors: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona and Arkansas are in very different parts of the country.
For learning where states are, grouping them by region works better. See 50 States by Region for a geographic version of the list.
Three useful activities with this list
Missing-state challenge. Copy the list, remove ten names, and ask a child to fill the gaps.
Abbreviation match. Put the state names in one column and postal abbreviations in another, then match them without looking at the table.
Alphabet race. Pick a letter and name every state beginning with it. The letter M is especially good practice because it includes Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri and Montana.
Free bonus inside
The 50 States of America
A full-color atlas for kids ages 8-12. Every state gets its own page: flag, map, state shape, capital, nickname and three facts, plus eight region quizzes. Free 50-States Quiz Challenge available now.
Learn more →Which letters start the most state names?
The distribution is uneven. Some letters begin many states, while several letters begin none. That makes alphabet-based games a useful supplement even though alphabetical order should not be the main geography method.
Once the names are familiar, move from list recall to map recall. Our 50 States Map Quiz tests whether a learner can connect the names to actual locations.
What should kids learn next?
After the names, the next useful layers are location, region, capital and one memorable fact per state. The 50 States and Capitals List adds capitals, while 50 States Facts for Kids gives each state a stronger memory hook.
