How Well Do You Know the US States?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How Well Do You Know the US States?
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Ever since the intention was first declared to form a more perfect union, America has been a work in progress. 

One of the great mechanisms by which forward progress is achieved, or, depending on the issue, thwarted, is the federal model of American government, whereby the country is formed of autonomous states that write their own laws, while also agreeing to the primacy of the federal government's law. This is what Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, called the "laboratories of democracy," in which states may try "novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country."

As it is with the law, so it is with economics, infrastructure, architecture, art, literature, science and more. While from the outside, U.S. states seem pretty interchangeable, from the inside, it's very clear that each state has its own approach to all of these things. States are even generally topographically different, at least on a regional level. You'd never mistake a Great Plains state for New England or the Deep South. 

Let's see how well you can distinguish these frustrating, fabulous and forever-changing laboratories of democracy by taking this quiz!

Cheyenne
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state's capital is Cheyenne and is also home to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park?
Texas
Oregon
Wyoming
New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wyoming is a beautiful mountain state whose national parks are national treasures. It is also the least populous state in the country.

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North Carolina
Pixabay by mam5032
Two states have both a north and a south. One pair is the Dakotas. Which is the other?
Oregons
Californias
Carolinas
New Mexicos
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There's a North Carolina and a South Carolina. Tennessee was once part of the former. Both Carolinas became states in 1776.

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Chicago
Pixabay by Pexels
Which state contains the city of Chicago and is on the shore of Lake Michigan?
Michigan
Illinois
Wisconsin
Indiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Chicago is known sometimes as America's Second City. This, of course, is why the famous comedy club in Chicago is also called "The Second City." The nickname actually comes from the battle to host the World's Fair: Columbia Exposition. They beat New York, despite their "second city" status.

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Missouri
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state has the postal abbreviation MO and sits on the Mississippi River?
Mississippi
Missouri
Maine
Massachusetts
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Missouri is a Midwestern state on the banks of the Mississippi River. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is a world-famous landmark that was recently renovated and expanded at the cost of $176 million.

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Miami
Pixabay by tammon
Which is one of ten states with a "panhandle" and home to the city of Tallahassee?
Florida
Nebraska
Utah
Oklahoma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seas are rising, and not evenly; in some areas, due to gravity and thermal expansion, which means warming water, water levels are going up an inch per year. Most of Florida's critical coastal infrastructure will need to be rebuilt if the trend is not halted.

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Hawaii
Pixabay by BKD
Which was the last state to join the Union (for now) and is noted for its beautiful volcanoes?
Hawaii
Alaska
Arizona
New Mexico
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hawaii is the most westerly state and is noted for its beautiful climate. It also has a lot of military bases, as it provides the main strategic position for control over the Pacific.

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Nevada
Pixabay by esudroff
Which state is known as the Silver State and is noted for its deserts and the Hoover Dam?
Nebraska
Nevada
Kentucky
Tennessee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nevada's economy is largely centered on vices: legal gambling and prostitution. Only seven of the top twenty employers in the state aren't associated with casinos or gambling. If you want to feel a little better, two school districts are the top two employers in the state.

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Philadelphia
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state has the motto "Virtue, liberty, and independence" and contains one of the original options for capital city of the U.S.?
Ohio
Maine
Pennsylvania
Indiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pennsylvania is known as the Keystone State and is a microcosm of the United States; it has multiple types of industries and is relatively culturally diverse.

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Georgia
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state is known as the Peach State and is the largest state east of the Mississippi?
Georgia
Mississippi
Louisiana
South Carolina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Georgia has 159 counties and is known for its delicious peaches! Georgia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies. Georgia was first inhabited by Mound Builders, pre-Columbian indigenous tribes.

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Seattle
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state, home to Seattle, is known as the Evergreen State and joined the Union after it was ceded by Britain in 1846?
Oregon
Washington
Minnesota
Nevada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Washington State is known for its tech sector and aerospace industry. Seattle boasts the famous Space Needle, built in 1962, which was constructed to be able to withstand a 9.0 earthquake.

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Kentucky
Pixabay by USA-Reiseblogger
Which state is home to the most famous racing derby and is noted for its bluegrass music?
Kentucky
Tennessee
Arkansas
Kansas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kentucky is known for Bourbon and Churchill Downs, home of the world-famous Kentucky Derby. Bluegrass music is also from Appalachia, of which Kentucky is part of.

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Arkansas
Pixabay by astroguy52
Which state on the Mississippi River is noted for being the home of Walmart and for its highest point, Mount Magazine?
Louisiana
Mississippi
Iowa
Arkansas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arkansas has the honor of hosting the headquarters of Walmart. This is due in part to its relatively central position from which the whole continental U.S. is easily reached.

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Tennessee
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state is famous for bluegrass music and for its capital, which is known as Music City?
Georgia
Alabama
Mississippi
Tennessee
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Formerly part of North Carolina, Tennessee is now its own state and is noted for its vibrant musical culture. Nashville is known as Music City, and is also home to the Grand Ole Opry.

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Zion National Park
Pixabay by derwiki
Which state is home to Zion National Park, noted for its glorious slot canyons?
Montana
Idaho
Utah
Nevada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Utah is home to some amazingly flat areas, such as the Bonneville Salt Flats, but it is also very mountainous. A slot canyon is one that is much narrower than it's walls are tall.

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Wetlands
Pixabay by havenshell
Which state is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes and became a state in 1858?
Missouri
Arkansas
Minnesota
Kansas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Minnesota has a lot of lakes; more than 10,000. It's also home to some of the oldest rocks and minerals on earth. They're 3.6 billion years old, which is only 20% younger than the planet itself.

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Crater Lake
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state in the Pacific Northwest contains Crater Lake?
Washington
Oregon
Idaho
California
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crater Lake is in a volcanic caldera and also happens to be the deepest lake in the United States. The state is also home to numerous volcanoes.

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Ohio Cows
Pixabay by Unknown
Which Midwestern state is known as the Buckeye State?
Michigan
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Illinois
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ohio is an industrial state where manufacturing is now giving way to a knowledge economy. There is also plenty of farming. Also, buckeye candies are peanut butter and chocolate. What more could you want?

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Alaska
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state has the longest coastline and is noted for its spectacular national parks and cold climate?
California
Hawaii
New York
Alaska
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alaska is the biggest and most northerly state. It has an immense coastline, as it has the ocean on three sides.

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Brooklyn
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state has the biggest city by population?
New York
California
Florida
Indiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

New York City has a population of over eight million, making it the most populous city in the U.S. However, by landmass, New York State is in the middle of the pack.

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Idaho Sheep
Pixabay by Unknown
Which mountainous state sometimes suffers from wildfires and produces mountains of potatoes?
Iowa
Kansas
Colorodo
Idaho
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The mountainous state, Idaho, is the biggest potato grower of all the states! Idaho boasts dozens of mountain ranges, as well. For non-locals, if you pronounce their capital, Boise, as "boy-zee," they'll know you're not from there. They pronounce it "boy-see."

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Lake Tahoe
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state is the biggest exporter of solar energy in the U.S. and has the biggest economy?
Florida
New York
California
Nevada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

California's smart incentives mean it may be one of the first states to be all renewable-powered. It has the fifth-biggest economy in the world and the biggest population of the U.S. states.

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South Carolina
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state was first to secede from the Union in 1861, and is known as the Palmetto State?
West Virginia
Maryland
South Carolina
Rhode Island
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1886, South Carolina had the largest earthquake to ever hit the Southeast U.S. It was a magnitude 7.2 and killed dozens of people.

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South Dakota
Pixabay by kalasoft
Which northerly state is home to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, as well as the Mashed Potato Wrestling Contest?
North Dakota
South Dakota
Oregon
Minnesota
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

South Dakota gets a lot of tourism for its size, thanks to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial. The Mashed Potato Wrestling Contest is more of a local affair.

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Night Sky
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state has only the tenth highest hottest average temperature, even though sometimes it's so hot that planes cannot fly?
Florida
Arizona
New Mexico
Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Arizona's mild winters keep its average down, but it has the hottest summers; enough to melt roads and render airplanes unable to fly in the thin air. Arizona is home to Grand Canyon National Park.

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Hiker at Dawn
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state is home to several founding fathers who became president?
West Virginia
Maryland
Virginia
Massachusetts
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Virginia was one of the main providers of presidents in the early days of the Union. These include George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

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Oklahoma City
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state is home to part of Route 66 and is noted for being the location of the first installed parking meter, as well as being the home of many Comanche?
Oklahoma
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oklahoma was geographically at the end of the Trail of Tears, where native tribes were forcibly removed from ancestral land in other parts of the country and sent there. The Comanche were originally from Oklahoma and Texas.

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Minneapolis
Pixabay by Kait_P
Which state is the most northerly in the lower forty-eight and is known for its bitterly cold winters?
Minnesota
Vermont
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Minnesota is a beautiful state, but the winters there are brutal. Stock up on supplies, and learn to ice skate. For reference, the average January high temperature in International Falls, Minnesota is 15 degrees F.

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North Dakota
Pixabay by jmrockeman
Which state on the Canadian border is the leading producer of sunflowers in the U.S.?
Minnesota
Wisconsin
North Dakota
Michigan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

North Dakota produces not only a lot of sunflowers, but also soybeans and honey. Nearly 90% of the state's land area is taken up by farms and ranches.

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Montana
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state lies on the northern end of the U.S. Rockies and is among the least densely populated?
Wyoming
Colorado
Montana
Utah
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Montana is the largest of the states that include the Rockies, but there aren't many people there (it's technically the 8th least populous state in the country!) It is also the largest landlocked state.

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West Virginia
Pixabay by skeeze
Which state on the Appalachian Trail also includes the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers.
Virginia
West Virginia
Tennessee
Kentucky
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

West Virginia is among the ten smallest states by land area. It boasts many forests and mountains, including one of the most popular sections of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,200 miles thru-hike.

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Alabama
Pixabay by Unknown
Which southern state's name means "thicket clearers?"
Mississippi
Louisiana
South Carolina
Alabama
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alabama is a Deep South state. It is one of the Gulf states, enjoying a beautiful coastline. Alabama is also the name of the indigenous people and language of the region.

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Maryland
Pixabay by Irish_Rose
Which wealthy state is in commuting distance to the Beltway and has the highest average income in the nation?
Connecticut
Virginia
Rhode Island
Maryland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Maryland's stupendously high household income (median $80,000+) is more than 20K above the national median. It's largely a product of its proximity to the capital in Washington D.C.

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Nebraska
Pixabay by Unknown
Which very flat state grows a lot of corn and is the only one with a single chamber in its legislature?
Kansas
Nebraska
Iowa
Colordo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nebraska has "the Unicameral," a single chamber legislature that is nonpartisan. This means the elections are also nonpartisan, although each candidate's political leanings are publicly known.

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Rio Grande River
Pixabay by Unknown
Which big state is known for oil, but should be known for wind, as it is the biggest producer of wind energy?
Iowa
Texas
Oklahoma
Kansas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All four of these answers are huge wind exporters now, but Texas has the edge. Wind energy in these states is already cheaper than running an EXISTING coal or nuclear plant, with prices set to undercut remaining fossil fuels within 25 years. Wind turbine tech is the fastest-growing job type in the U.S., and it pays very nicely. In some states, former coal miners can get free training to become wind turbine techs!

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New Mexico
Pixabay by Unknown
Which state's capital city is at the highest elevation?
Wyoming
Utah
New Mexico
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The capital city of New Mexico, Santa Fe, is at an elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level. Denver, Colorado is the second-highest at 5,280 feet, earning it the nickname "The Mile High City."

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You Got:
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