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US State Map

The USA is divided into 50 states. Each state has been abbreviated with two letters. Several codes have been set aside to represent the State's political divisions for the purpose of postal addresses, data processing and more. However, sometimes, the abbreviation for a state is not intuitive. So, it is better to keep the state-abbreviation list handy. This is crucial for letter-writers, business people, and students alike.

Click on any US State for its Map & Information


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About US State Map

Here is a map of the US showing the two-letter abbreviation for each state with the state name next to it. Knowing the abbreviations of each is vital for sending and receiving mail and packages from anywhere in the US, or even in the world. Test yourself…do you know all the abbreviation for the ‘M’ states? Are you sending your package to Alaska, or Alabama?


About the 50 States of US

One can find the United States of America (USA) resting between Canada and Mexico on the map of the Northern Hemisphere. There are 50 states in all, forty-eight of which are situated within the mainland. The remaining two states are Alaska and Hawaii (a group of islands in the South Pacific seas). The capital of the US is the federal district of Washington, D.C.

The head of the federal government is the President. Each state is also governed by its state-level government.



US National Park

The United States is known for the spectacular variety of its natural landscapes, also available in many valleys of the national parks. The captivating scenery and rugged charm of its many natural attractions are best witnessed in the 58 national parks and nature preserves that dot the country. Check this US National Parks Map locating all the national parks in the US.

Two-letter State Abbreviations

As noted, each state has an abbreviation for postal purposes -folks want to make sure what they order online reaches them quickly and rightly! You may notice, the abbreviations are not always intuitive. This is due to the fact that there are eight state names that start with the letters M and N, and so, abbreviations had to be assigned to prevent duplication and confusion.

Interesting State Facts

Did you know that the typewriter was invented in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1867? Or that you can find the Mammoth-Flint Cave system, the largest underground cave in the world in Kentucky? That Coca-Cola was first bottled in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1894, or that the world’s smallest park is in Portland, Oregon? Each state has its own story to tell, full of fun and interesting facts.

Most Prominent Places to Visit

Where to begin? The US is full of great places to visit, but let’s start with the Grand Canyon in Arizona, having fantastic views and unique geology. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has its famous geysers and springs and shouldn’t be missed. Further west in California is Yosemite Park with the iconic Half Dome. If you enjoy the arts, New York is the place for you. History buffs can visit Washington D.C. and explore the Civil War and the Nation’s Capital. And those who love the ‘Hipster Scene,’ can visit San Francisco. Hawaii is home to world-class beaches or you can cruise to Alaska to see a different type of coastline!

Important state songs

Each state has its own symbol, flag, animal, flower, and more that represent the state. One endearing ‘symbol’ for each state is a state song.

Some are well known, but most are not. A few popular songs are: ‘Yankee Doodle,’ for Connecticut. Georgia has beautiful ‘Georgia On My Mind.’ Kansas has ‘Home on the Range.’ Louisiana has ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ Some states have more than one state song, in fact, Tennessee has ten, the maximum out of all states, and arguably one of the most popular is the ‘Tennessee Waltz.’




List of 50 US States with Abbreviations

StateAbbreviationState SongAdmission to UnionTime Zone
AlabamaAL"Alabama"December 14, 1819 (22nd)Central Standard Time (CST)
AlaskaAK"Alaska's Flag"January 3, 1959 (49th)Alaska Standard Time (AKST) Aleutian Islands Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST)
ArizonaAZ"Arizona"February 14, 1912 (48th)Mountain Standard Time (MST) The Navajo Nation uses Daylight Saving Time (DST), the rest of the state does not
ArkansasAR"Oh, Arkansas"June 15, 1836 (25th)Central Standard Time (CST)
CaliforniaCA"I Love You, California"September 9, 1850 (31st) Pacific Standard Time (PST)
ColoradoCO"Where the Columbines Grow"August 1, 1876 (38th)Mountain Standard Time (MST)
ConnecticutCT"Yankee Doodle"January 9, 1788 (5th) Eastern Standard Time (EST)
DelawareDE"Our Delaware"December 7, 1787 (1st)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
FloridaFL"Old Folks at Home (Swanee Ribber)"March 3, 1845 (27th)Most of the state: Eastern Standard Time (EST) West of the Apalachicola River: Central Standard Time (CST)
GeorgiaGA"Georgia on My Mind"January 2, 1788 (4th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
HawaiiHI"Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī"August 21, 1959 (50th)Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST) Hawaii does not use Daylight Saving Time (DST)
IdahoID"Here We Have Idaho"July 3, 1891 (43rd)Most of the state: Mountain Standard Time (MST) North of the Salmon River: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
IllinoisIL"Illinois"December 3, 1818 (21st)Central Standard Time (CST)
IndianaIN"On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away"December 11, 1816 (19th)Most of the state: Eastern Standard Time (EST) Northwest and southwest corners: Central Standard Time (CST)
IowaIA"The Song of Iowa"December 28, 1846 (29th)Central Standard Time (CST)
KansasKS"Home on the Range"January 29, 1861 (34th)Most of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) Greeley, Hamilton, Sherman and Wallace counties: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
KentuckyKYState song: "My Old Kentucky Home"June 1, 1792 (15th)Western half of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) Eastern half of the state: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
LouisianaLA"You Are My Sunshine"April 30, 1812 (18th)Central Standard Time (CST)
MaineME"State of Maine Song"March 15, 1820 (23rd)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
MarylandMD"Maryland, My Maryland"April 28, 1788 (7th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
MassachusettsMAState anthem: "All Hail to Massachusetts" State folk song: "Massachusetts"February 6, 1788 (6th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
MichiganMI"My Michigan"January 26, 1837 (26th)Most of the state: Eastern Standard Time (EST) Counties that share a border with Wisconsin: Central Standard Time (CST)
MinnesotaMN"Hail! Minnesota"May 11, 1858 (32nd)Central Standard Time (CST)
MississippiMS"Go, Mississippi"December 10, 1817 (20th)Central Standard Time (CST)
MissouriMO"Missouri Waltz"August 10, 1821 (24th) Central Standard Time (CST)
MontanaMT"Montana"November 8, 1889 (41st) Mountain Standard Time (MST)
NebraskaNE"Beautiful Nebraska"March 1, 1867 (37th) Most of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) Western part of the state: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
NevadaNV"Home Means Nevada"October 31, 1864 (36th) Most of the state: Pacific Standard Time (PST) 2 small towns, Jackpot and West Wendover: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
New HampshireNH"Old New Hampshire" "Live Free or Die"June 21, 1788 (9th) Eastern Standard Time (EST)
New JerseyNJNADecember 18, 1787 (3rd) Eastern Standard Time (EST)
New MexicoNM"O Fair New Mexico"January 6, 1912 (47th) Mountain Standard Time (MST)
New YorkNY"I Love New York"July 26, 1788 (11th) Eastern Standard Time (EST)
North CarolinaNC"The Old North State"November 21, 1789 (12th) Eastern Standard Time (EST)
North DakotaND"North Dakota Hymn"November 2, 1889 (39th) Most of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) Southwestern part of the state: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
OhioOH"Beautiful Ohio"March 1, 1803 (17th) declared retroactively on August 7, 1953Eastern Standard Time (EST)
OklahomaOK "Oklahoma" / Official state folk song: "Oklahoma Hills"November 16, 1907 (46th)Central Standard Time (CST)
OregonOR"Oregon, My Oregon"February 14, 1859 (33rd)Most of the state: Pacific Standard Time (PST) Part of Malheur County: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
PennsylvaniaPA"Pennsylvania" December 12, 1787 (2nd)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Rhode IslandRI"Rhode Island, It's for Me"May 29, 1790 (13th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
South CarolinaSC"South Carolina on My Mind"May 23, 1788 (8th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
South DakotaSD"Hail, South Dakota!"November 2, 1889 (40th)Eastern half of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) Western half of the state: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
TennesseeTNMy Homeland, Tennessee June 1, 1796 (16th)West Tennessee: Central Standard Time (CST) Middle Tennessee, plus Marion County: Central Standard Time (CST) East Tennessee, except Marion County: Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TexasTX"Texas, Our Texas"December 29, 1845 (28th)Most of the state: Central Standard Time (CST) El Paso and Hudspeth counties and part of Culberson County: Mountain Standard Time (MST)
UtahUT"Utah, We Love Thee"January 4, 1896 (45th)Mountain Standard Time (MST)
VermontVT"These Green Mountains"March 4, 1791 (14th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
VirginiaVA"Our Great Virginia"June 25, 1788 (10th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
WashingtonWA"Washington, My Home"November 11, 1889 (42nd) Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Washington, D.C.(DC)DC  Eastern Standard Time (EST)
West VirginiaWV"The West Virginia Hills" "This Is My West Virginia" "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home"June 20, 1863 (35th)Eastern Standard Time (EST)
WisconsinWI "On, Wisconsin!"May 29, 1848 (30th)Central Standard Time (CST)
WyomingWY"Wyoming"July 10, 1890 (44th)Mountain Standard Time (MST)