All 50 US States: Map, Names and Capitals
A complete 50 state map and list of every US state name, capital, population and region. Click any state below for its own map, geography, climate, economy and historical facts — or use the search box to jump straight to one.
Browse States by Region
"Region" on this site follows common usage: Northeast, Midwest, South, West, plus the informal "Southeast" and "Southwest" labels. For the official Census Bureau definitions and how they differ from BEA regions, see US Regions and Divisions Explained. Looking for areas beyond the 50 states? See US Territories and DC.
How many states are in the USA?
There are 50 states in the United States. The number has been fixed since 1959, when Alaska joined in January and Hawaii in August as the 49th and 50th states. Before that the count grew from the original 13 colonies, one admission at a time, for more than 170 years.
Searches for a "map of all 51 states" usually mean the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. DC is a federal district, not a state, so it is counted separately — as are the five inhabited US territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam.
What is a US state?
A US state is a self-governing member of the federal union. Each of the 50 states has its own constitution, governor, legislature and courts, and each keeps every power the US Constitution does not hand to the federal government — which is why driving ages, sales tax, school rules and marriage law all change the moment you cross a state line.
Every state, regardless of size, elects two US senators. Seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned by population, so California sends dozens while Wyoming, Vermont and Delaware send one each. That combination also sets each state's weight in the Electoral College map.
The US map with state names, at a glance
- Largest by area: Alaska, 665,384 sq mi — bigger than the next three states combined.
- Smallest by area: Rhode Island, 1,545 sq mi.
- Most populous: California, about 39 million people.
- Least populous: Wyoming, about 577,000 people.
- Newest states: Alaska and Hawaii, both admitted in 1959.
- Only two states not touching another state: Alaska and Hawaii.
Keep exploring the 50 states
- US state capitals — all 50 capital cities and why so few are the largest city in their state.
- US regions map — which of the four regions and nine census divisions each state belongs to.
- Compare US states — put any two states side by side on population, area and economy.
- US map with major cities — the largest city in each state and the top 50 nationwide.
- US population density map — people per square mile, state by state.
- Printable US maps — blank and labeled state maps for classroom and homeschool use.