A list of states alphabetically runs from Alabama to Wyoming, so you can scan names fast and copy them cleanly.
You’ll run into state names in school reports, mailing labels, quizzes, and forms that want neat, consistent entries. When you’re rushing, it’s easy to skip a state, swap a capital, or type a postal code that looks right but isn’t.
This page gives you one clean place to grab the full set of 50 U.S. states in A–Z order, plus the two-letter postal abbreviation and the state capital. Then you’ll get quick ways to format the list for homework, spreadsheets, or printing.
List Of State Alphabetically With Abbreviations And Capitals
This table sticks to the 50 states. Each row shows the state name, its two-letter postal code, and its capital city.
| State | Postal Code | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Montgomery |
| Alaska | AK | Juneau |
| Arizona | AZ | Phoenix |
| Arkansas | AR | Little Rock |
| California | CA | Sacramento |
| Colorado | CO | Denver |
| Connecticut | CT | Hartford |
| Delaware | DE | Dover |
| Florida | FL | Tallahassee |
| Georgia | GA | Atlanta |
| Hawaii | HI | Honolulu |
| Idaho | ID | Boise |
| Illinois | IL | Springfield |
| Indiana | IN | Indianapolis |
| Iowa | IA | Des Moines |
| Kansas | KS | Topeka |
| Kentucky | KY | Frankfort |
| Louisiana | LA | Baton Rouge |
| Maine | ME | Augusta |
| Maryland | MD | Annapolis |
| Massachusetts | MA | Boston |
| Michigan | MI | Lansing |
| Minnesota | MN | Saint Paul |
| Mississippi | MS | Jackson |
| Missouri | MO | Jefferson City |
| Montana | MT | Helena |
| Nebraska | NE | Lincoln |
| Nevada | NV | Carson City |
| New Hampshire | NH | Concord |
| New Jersey | NJ | Trenton |
| New Mexico | NM | Santa Fe |
| New York | NY | Albany |
| North Carolina | NC | Raleigh |
| North Dakota | ND | Bismarck |
| Ohio | OH | Columbus |
| Oklahoma | OK | Oklahoma City |
| Oregon | OR | Salem |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Harrisburg |
| Rhode Island | RI | Providence |
| South Carolina | SC | Columbia |
| South Dakota | SD | Pierre |
| Tennessee | TN | Nashville |
| Texas | TX | Austin |
| Utah | UT | Salt Lake City |
| Vermont | VT | Montpelier |
| Virginia | VA | Richmond |
| Washington | WA | Olympia |
| West Virginia | WV | Charleston |
| Wisconsin | WI | Madison |
| Wyoming | WY | Cheyenne |
What This List Includes And What It Leaves Out
The United States has 50 states. This table lists those 50 and stops there. You may still see “Washington, DC” on worksheets or shipping forms, and you may see U.S. territories on mailing lists.
If you need official two-letter abbreviations for states, DC, and territories, use the USPS list in Appendix B postal abbreviations. That page matches what mail systems expect.
Quick Notes On DC And Territories
- District Of Columbia: Not a state. It uses the postal code DC.
- Puerto Rico And Other Territories: Not states. They still have USPS postal codes, and some forms include them.
- Armed Forces Mail: Some mailing fields use AA, AE, or AP for military routing.
Alphabetical Rules That Prevent Small Mistakes
When you alphabetize states, treat the full name as one unit. “New,” “North,” and “South” stay attached to the state name, so those states file under N or S. Also, don’t reorder “West Virginia” as “Virginia, West.” Keep the full state name as written.
If you’re alphabetizing a longer list that includes DC or territories, pick one rule and stick with it. Many teachers want the 50 states only. Many mailing lists include DC and territories. Decide that at the start so your list doesn’t change halfway through.
Fast Ways To Use States In Alphabetical Order
Alphabetical order shines when you need a clean scan, a quick check, or a copy-ready list. Here are practical ways to put it to work without retyping the full set.
For Homework And Study
- Flashcards: Put the state on one side and the capital on the other.
- Spelling Practice: Copy the state names line by line, then read them back out loud.
- Map Quizzes: Use the list to confirm you didn’t miss any state on your blank map.
- Capitals Drill: Hide the capital column with a sheet of paper and quiz yourself down the list.
For Forms And Data Entry
- Drop-Down Lists: Many websites use the same A–Z order, so you can find a state fast.
- Spreadsheets: Paste the state column into a sheet, then add your own columns for grades, dates, or notes.
- Mailing Labels: Pair state names with the USPS code so labels stay consistent.
For Printing And Handouts
If you’re making a classroom handout, A–Z order makes checking work quick. A teacher can spot missing states in seconds. A student can scan for one state without bouncing around a map.
Common Mistakes People Make With State Names And Capitals
Most mix-ups come from look-alike names, shared city names, or a quick guess on an abbreviation. A short check can save you from points off on a worksheet or a rejected form entry.
State Name Mix-Ups That Pop Up A Lot
- North And South: North Carolina vs South Carolina, North Dakota vs South Dakota.
- New States: New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York.
- West Virginia: It’s its own state, not the western part of Virginia.
Capital City Mix-Ups That Catch Students
- New York: The capital is Albany, not New York City.
- California: The capital is Sacramento, not Los Angeles or San Francisco.
- Washington: The state capital is Olympia. Washington, DC is a district.
- Florida: The capital is Tallahassee, not Miami.
A Quick Accuracy Check You Can Run
- Count the rows. You should see 50 state rows in the table.
- Scan the “New” group: Hampshire, Jersey, Mexico, York.
- Scan the “North/South” pairs: Carolina, Dakota.
- Scan the last line: Wyoming is the final state in A–Z order.
Regions And Time Zones For A Smarter Study Plan
Alphabetical lists are great for scanning, but your brain may learn faster when you group states by where they sit on the map. One simple way is to tag each state with a region or a time zone, then quiz yourself in clusters.
Census Regions And Divisions
The U.S. Census Bureau groups states into regions and divisions used in many charts and reference tables. If you want a clean visual, the Census PDF map of U.S. regions and divisions is a handy reference.
A Simple Region Snapshot
- Northeast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT
- Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI
- South: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
- West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY
Time Zone Notes That Help With Real Tasks
If you’re scheduling calls, deadlines, or live classes, time zones matter more than state order. A quick habit: write the time zone next to the state you work with most, then reuse that note the next time.
- Two Or More Zones: Some states span more than one time zone, so a city-level check may be needed.
- Alaska And Hawaii: Their time zones often sit far from the mainland schedule.
- Arizona: Time changes can differ from many other states during parts of the year.
Copy-Friendly Formats You Can Paste Anywhere
Sometimes you don’t want a table at all. You just want text you can paste into a worksheet, a note, or a form builder. Below are a few clean formats. Pick the one that matches your task.
One State Per Line
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Comma-Separated (Single Line)
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
State And Code (Two Columns You Can Split)
Alabama AL Alaska AK Arizona AZ Arkansas AR California CA Colorado CO Connecticut CT Delaware DE Florida FL Georgia GA Hawaii HI Idaho ID Illinois IL Indiana IN Iowa IA Kansas KS Kentucky KY Louisiana LA Maine ME Maryland MD Massachusetts MA Michigan MI Minnesota MN Mississippi MS Missouri MO Montana MT Nebraska NE Nevada NV New Hampshire NH New Jersey NJ New Mexico NM New York NY North Carolina NC North Dakota ND Ohio OH Oklahoma OK Oregon OR Pennsylvania PA Rhode Island RI South Carolina SC South Dakota SD Tennessee TN Texas TX Utah UT Vermont VT Virginia VA Washington WA West Virginia WV Wisconsin WI Wyoming WY
Turn The List Into A Spreadsheet Column
Want a clean column you can sort, filter, and reuse? Here’s a quick setup that works in Excel, Google Sheets, and similar apps.
- Copy the “One State Per Line” block.
- Paste it into the first cell of a blank column.
- Use the app’s “Split text to columns” tool only if your paste lands in one cell.
- Add a header like “State” at the top, then freeze that header row.
- When you add your own data, keep state names in one column and postal codes in another.
Once you’ve got that setup, you can sort by state name, filter to one region, or spot duplicates fast. If you’re working with names typed by different people, set a simple rule: full state names only, or two-letter codes only. Mixing styles makes sorting messy.
Checklist For Clean State Lists In Assignments And Forms
When a teacher, portal, or worksheet wants a state list, the goal is clean entries that match what the field expects. This quick checklist helps you catch the usual snags before you hit submit or print.
| Task | Best Format | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|
| Memorize capitals | Flashcards (State → Capital) | Mix the order each round |
| Fill a form field | USPS code | Use two letters, no periods |
| Make a class handout | One state per line | Leave room for notes |
| Sort a data sheet | Table with headers | Freeze the header row |
| Check for missing states | A–Z scan | Confirm 50 state names |
| Build a dropdown list | Comma-separated | Remove extra spaces after paste |
| Match to a map quiz | Region clusters | Quiz one region at a time |
| Mailing labels | State + code + ZIP | Keep the code in uppercase |
Two Quick Reminders Before You Copy
First, decide whether you need states only, or states plus DC and territories. Many school tasks want the 50 states only, while shipping forms may include more items.
Second, stay consistent. Don’t mix full state names and two-letter codes in the same column unless the assignment asks for that mix.
If you’re building a worksheet, a poster, or a quiz, you can reuse this page any time you need the list of state alphabetically without retyping the full set. When you’re done, run the 50-row count check once and you’re set.
One last note: if you need the phrase inside a sentence, write it in lowercase like this: list of state alphabetically. It keeps the wording consistent in paragraphs while headings stay in title case.