50 States In Number Order | Admission Order Made Simple

If you’ve ever seen a quiz that says “Name state #27” or a worksheet that asks for “states 1–13,” it’s talking about one thing: the sequence of admission. That numbering shows how the U.S. grew, step by step, over nearly two centuries.

This page gives you the full numbered list, plus a clean way to remember it, plus a couple of fast checks that keep common mix-ups from wrecking your score. No fluff. Just the list, the logic behind it, and study-friendly structure.

What “number order” means in practice

When someone says “50 states in number order,” they’re almost always using the admission sequence: the first state to join the Union is #1, the second is #2, and so on. The first thirteen are listed by the dates they ratified the U.S. Constitution, then every later state follows its official admission date.

That’s why Delaware is #1 and Hawaii is #50. It’s not alphabetical. It’s not population. It’s not area. It’s a timeline.

Two mix-ups that trip people up

• Alphabet order vs number order: Alabama is first alphabetically, but it’s #22 by admission.
• Year-only charts vs full dates: Some charts list only the year a state joined. That’s fine for quick studying, but full dates help on tougher quizzes and history classes.

How to use this list for studying

If you’re studying for a test, don’t try to memorize fifty items in one go. Work in blocks. The admission timeline has natural clusters: the early Constitution ratifiers, the early 1800s growth, the late-1800s run of western states, then the final pair in 1959.

Fast rules that make the list easier

Before you jump into the full numbered list, lock in these quick rules. They save time, and they cut errors.

Rule 1: The first 13 are Constitution ratifiers

The “original states” are still numbered in order, based on when each ratified the Constitution. You can cross-check those ratification dates on GPO Ben’s Guide ratification dates, which matches many school curricula.

Rule 2: Alaska and Hawaii are the last two

Alaska is #49 and Hawaii is #50, both in 1959. If you ever blank on the end of the list, that pair is your anchor.

Rule 3: “Dakota” is two states on the same day

North Dakota and South Dakota entered on the same date in 1889. Many lists still assign North Dakota #39 and South Dakota #40.

Memory-friendly blocks of admission

Here’s a way to chunk the admission timeline without turning it into a messy cram session. Learn the idea of each era first, then fill in the state names.

This table groups the admissions into study-sized blocks, with a “what to remember” cue for each block. It’s meant to help you spot patterns, not to replace the full list that comes next.

Number range	Time window	What tends to show up
1–4	1787–1788	Early Constitution ratifiers (Delaware starts it)
5–11	1788	Fast run of ratifications through mid-1788
12–13	1789–1790	Late ratifiers (North Carolina, Rhode Island)
14–18	1791–1812	Early expansions (Vermont through Louisiana)
19–24	1816–1821	Midwest growth plus Maine and Missouri
25–30	1836–1848	South and Midwest additions, ending with Wisconsin
31–38	1850–1876	Westward growth through Colorado
39–46	1889–1907	Late-1800s cluster plus Oklahoma
47–50	1912–1959	Southwest pair, then the final two in 1959

50 States In Number Order

Below is the full sequence most classes and quizzes use: the order each state joined the Union. For the first thirteen, the date is the Constitution ratification date. After that, it’s the official admission date.

1. Delaware — December 7, 1787
2. Pennsylvania — December 12, 1787
3. New Jersey — December 18, 1787
4. Georgia — January 2, 1788
5. Connecticut — January 9, 1788
6. Massachusetts — February 6, 1788
7. Maryland — April 28, 1788
8. South Carolina — May 23, 1788
9. New Hampshire — June 21, 1788
10. Virginia — June 25, 1788
11. New York — July 26, 1788
12. North Carolina — November 21, 1789
13. Rhode Island — May 29, 1790
14. Vermont — March 4, 1791
15. Kentucky — June 1, 1792
16. Tennessee — June 1, 1796
17. Ohio — March 1, 1803
18. Louisiana — April 30, 1812
19. Indiana — December 11, 1816
20. Mississippi — December 10, 1817
21. Illinois — December 3, 1818
22. Alabama — December 14, 1819
23. Maine — March 15, 1820
24. Missouri — August 10, 1821
25. Arkansas — June 15, 1836
26. Michigan — January 26, 1837
27. Florida — March 3, 1845
28. Texas — December 29, 1845
29. Iowa — December 28, 1846
30. Wisconsin — May 29, 1848
31. California — September 9, 1850
32. Minnesota — May 11, 1858
33. Oregon — February 14, 1859
34. Kansas — January 29, 1861
35. West Virginia — June 20, 1863
36. Nevada — October 31, 1864
37. Nebraska — March 1, 1867
38. Colorado — August 1, 1876
39. North Dakota — November 2, 1889
40. South Dakota — November 2, 1889
41. Montana — November 8, 1889
42. Washington — November 11, 1889
43. Idaho — July 3, 1890
44. Wyoming — July 10, 1890
45. Utah — January 4, 1896
46. Oklahoma — November 16, 1907
47. New Mexico — January 6, 1912
48. Arizona — February 14, 1912
49. Alaska — January 3, 1959
50. Hawaii — August 21, 1959

50 states in number order with a quick cross-check

If you want a fast way to double-check your notes, compare your list to a year-based reference. A year-only table won’t give every exact date, but it catches many slip-ups fast. The U.S. Census Bureau statehood data table lists each state with its year of statehood, which is enough to confirm the broad timeline.

Common “gotcha” pairs worth drilling

• Florida (#27) and Texas (#28): both in 1845, spaced months apart.
• New Mexico (#47) and Arizona (#48): both in 1912, close together.
• Alaska (#49) and Hawaii (#50): same year, different months.
• North Dakota (#39) and South Dakota (#40): same day, separate numbers.

Study methods that work for this topic

People learn this list for different reasons: a school test, a trivia night, a teaching plan, or a map quiz. The method you pick should match your goal.

Method	Best for	How to do it
Number blocks	Fast memorization	Learn 1–13, then 14–24, then 25–38, then 39–50
Flash cards	Recall under pressure	Front: “State #34”; back: “Kansas (Jan 29, 1861)”
Write-and-check	Tests that require spelling	Write the full list from memory, then mark misses
Timeline anchors	History classes	Memorize a few anchor numbers, fill gaps around them
Map pairing	Geography practice	Match each number range with regions, then drill outliers
Two-minute drills	Trivia practice	Set a timer, answer “#?” prompts until the timer ends

A clean 10-minute routine

If you’ve got ten minutes a day, this routine tends to stick:

1. Spend 2 minutes on 1–13 until you can rattle them off in order.
2. Spend 3 minutes on the next block you’re learning, ten items at a time.
3. Spend 3 minutes on random prompts (“What is #31?”).
4. Spend 2 minutes writing a mini-list from memory, then correcting it.

Use cases for classes, worksheets, and quizzes

Teachers and students tend to reuse the admission order list in a few standard formats. Knowing the formats helps you study the right way.

When the worksheet asks for “state #__”

That’s straight recall. Flash cards or two-minute drills fit well. Try mixing state name prompts with number prompts so you don’t get locked into one direction.

When the worksheet asks for “list states 31–40”

That’s block recall. The table blocks earlier make that easier, since you can tie 31–38 to mid-1800s growth, then treat 39–46 as the late-1800s cluster.

When the question includes dates

Dates push you past name-only memorization. If you’re short on time, learn the month and year for the trickier clusters: 1845, 1889, 1912, 1959. Then add day-of-month only when your class expects it.

Quick self-check list before a test

Use this as a last pass right before you turn in a quiz:

• Delaware is #1.
• The first thirteen are Constitution ratifiers, ending with Rhode Island as #13.
• California is #31.
• Colorado is #38.
• North Dakota is #39 and South Dakota is #40.
• Oklahoma is #46.
• New Mexico is #47 and Arizona is #48.
• Alaska is #49 and Hawaii is #50.

If those anchors are solid, the rest is far easier to rebuild under time pressure.