US Territories and the District of Columbia
The places under the US flag that are not one of the 50 states: Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the District of Columbia.
Last reviewed on April 24, 2026
The United States is more than just its 50 states. Millions of US citizens and nationals live in territories and in the District of Columbia — areas governed under US law, using US currency and postal codes, but not represented in Congress the same way a state is. This page is a quick reference to the five inhabited territories and DC: where they are, how many people live there, who represents them, and how their status differs from a state.
What counts as a US territory
A territory in US law is an area that is under the sovereignty of the United States but is not one of the 50 states. Territories fall into a few categories:
- Inhabited (organized) territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands have a local legislature and a locally elected governor. Residents are US citizens (or, in American Samoa, US nationals) but generally cannot vote in US presidential elections from the territory.
- Commonwealths: Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands are both formally "Commonwealths". The label reflects a particular kind of covenant with the United States rather than an independent level of government.
- Unincorporated territory: American Samoa is an unincorporated, unorganized territory. People born there are US nationals but not automatically US citizens.
- Minor outlying islands: A set of mostly uninhabited Pacific and Caribbean islands (Navassa Island, Wake Island, Midway Atoll, and others) administered by the federal government.
The District of Columbia is not a territory. It is a federal district, created specifically to host the national capital, and is constitutionally distinct from both states and territories.
Inhabited US territories at a glance
| Territory | Capital | Population (approx.) | Region | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | San Juan | ~3.2 million | Caribbean | Commonwealth |
| Guam | Hagåtña | ~170,000 | Western Pacific | Organized, unincorporated |
| US Virgin Islands | Charlotte Amalie | ~100,000 | Caribbean | Organized, unincorporated |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Saipan | ~50,000 | Western Pacific | Commonwealth |
| American Samoa | Pago Pago | ~45,000 | South Pacific | Unorganized, unincorporated |
Population figures round recent Census estimates. Territories are not part of the Census regions used for the 50 states, so the "Region" column above is geographic rather than a Census label. For the official Census grouping of the 50 states, see US Regions and Divisions Explained.
Puerto Rico
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is the largest and most populous US territory, located in the Caribbean east of the Dominican Republic. It has been under US sovereignty since 1898 and was designated a Commonwealth in 1952. Puerto Ricans are US citizens by birth, serve in the US military, use the US postal system, and are subject to most federal laws, but they do not vote in US presidential elections while residing on the island and do not have voting representation in Congress. They elect a non-voting Resident Commissioner to the US House.
Puerto Rico's status has been the subject of several referenda, with options ranging from statehood to independence to continuing the current commonwealth arrangement. Puerto Rico uses the US dollar, has its own constitution, and its own Senate, House, and Supreme Court.
Guam
Territory of Guam
Guam is the southernmost island of the Mariana archipelago in the western Pacific, about 3,800 miles west of Hawaii. It became a US territory in 1898 and was reorganized under a civilian government by the Organic Act of 1950, which granted US citizenship to Guamanians. The territory is strategically important as a major US military hub, hosting Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam. The Indigenous Chamorro people and their language remain a central part of Guam's identity. Guam elects a non-voting delegate to the US House and a locally elected governor and legislature.
US Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The US Virgin Islands are a group of Caribbean islands east of Puerto Rico. The three largest — Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix — along with about 50 smaller islands and cays, were purchased from Denmark in 1917. Residents are US citizens. The territory's economy relies heavily on tourism, rum production, and a large petroleum-refining facility on Saint Croix. The US Virgin Islands drive on the left side of the road — a holdover from the Danish era — which is unusual among US jurisdictions.
Northern Mariana Islands
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
The Northern Mariana Islands sit north of Guam in the western Pacific and consist of 14 islands, of which Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are the most populous. The islands entered a political union with the United States in 1978 as a Commonwealth in covenant with the US, and residents are US citizens. Like Guam, the CNMI has significant ties to the US military and a large Indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian population. A non-voting delegate represents CNMI in the US House.
American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is a group of islands in the South Pacific, south of the equator, making it the only US territory in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been under US administration since 1900. Unlike residents of the other inhabited territories, American Samoans are US nationals by birth but not automatically US citizens; citizenship can be obtained through naturalization. The territory has a strong traditional matai (chiefly) governance system alongside its US-style government. Like Puerto Rico, American Samoa elects a non-voting delegate to the US House.
Minor outlying islands
In addition to the inhabited territories, the United States administers several small, mostly uninhabited islands and atolls in the Pacific and Caribbean. These are known collectively as the United States Minor Outlying Islands. They include:
- Baker Island, Howland Island, and Jarvis Island — small uninhabited Pacific islands administered as wildlife refuges.
- Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef — Pacific atolls with no permanent population; past military and atmospheric-testing uses have left environmental constraints.
- Midway Atoll — a former US Navy base, now a National Wildlife Refuge in the north Pacific.
- Palmyra Atoll — a privately managed atoll in the central Pacific used primarily for scientific research.
- Wake Island — an atoll in the western Pacific operated by the US Air Force with a transient staff.
- Navassa Island — an uninhabited Caribbean island south of Cuba, administered as a US National Wildlife Refuge.
These islands are not represented by a delegate in Congress. Most are closed to the public or restricted to approved research and military activity.
The District of Columbia
The District of Columbia is not a territory and not a state — it is a federal district created by the US Constitution to host the national capital. DC has its own mayor and council under the 1973 Home Rule Act, and its residents are US citizens who pay federal taxes and serve in the military. Since the 23rd Amendment (1961), DC residents vote in US presidential elections with three electoral votes, the same as the smallest state. DC has a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives and no Senators. The question of DC statehood is debated periodically; as of this writing, it remains a federal district.
Things that are similar across territories and states
- US currency (the dollar) and US postal system.
- Most federal laws apply, including federal criminal law and many federal regulations.
- US passports are issued; residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, USVI, and CNMI carry the same US passport as state residents.
- Federal agencies (Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs) operate in the territories, though benefits may be calculated differently.
- Residents are subject to US military registration and may serve in all branches of the US armed forces.
Things that are different
- Residents of the five inhabited territories generally do not vote in US presidential elections from the territory.
- Territories have no voting representation in Congress — each sends one non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives.
- Federal income tax rules differ by territory; Puerto Rico, Guam, USVI, and CNMI have their own local tax systems that mirror or modify the federal code.
- American Samoans are US nationals, not US citizens, unless they naturalize.
- Some federal programs (notably Supplemental Security Income in some territories) are limited or operate under different rules than in the 50 states.
- DC has three electoral votes but still no voting representation in Congress.
See also
- US Regions and Divisions Explained — how the 50 states are grouped for Census and economic purposes.
- State Capitals: A Reference Guide — capitals of the 50 states, for comparison with the territorial capitals above.
- All 50 States — full directory of state pages with maps and quick facts.
- US Time Zones Map — includes Atlantic, Chamorro, and Samoa time zones used in the territories.