United States List Alphabetical Order | 50 States A-Z

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United States list alphabetical order runs from Alabama to Wyoming, the standard A–Z sequence for the 50 states on most lists.

If you need a clean A–Z list of the U.S. states for homework, a form, a quiz, or a spreadsheet, this page gives it to you in one place. People often type “united states list alphabetical order” when they want the same sequence used in textbooks and official paperwork.

You’ll get the 50 states in alphabetical order, the common two-letter postal codes, plus quick tips for sorting your own list without weird glitches.

Quick Ways People Sort A United States List

“Alphabetical order” can mean a few different things, depending on what you’re building. This table helps you pick the right version before you paste anything into a document.

Sort Style What You’re Sorting Where It Shows Up
State names A–Z Alabama through Wyoming School lists, maps, general reference
State names Z–A Wyoming back to Alabama Reverse indexes, some games
Postal codes A–Z AL, AK, AZ… Mailing lists, shipping forms
Capitals A–Z Montgomery, Juneau… Geography practice sets
By admission date Delaware first, Hawaii last History timelines, civics notes
By population Largest to smallest Data projects, charts
States + D.C. A–Z 50 states plus District of Columbia Some federal forms and datasets
States + territories A–Z States, territories, and possessions Travel, mailing, agency lists

United States List Alphabetical Order With Postal Codes

This is the standard A–Z order by state name. Postal codes are the two-letter abbreviations used for mailing labels.

  1. Alabama (AL)
  2. Alaska (AK)
  3. Arizona (AZ)
  4. Arkansas (AR)
  5. California (CA)
  6. Colorado (CO)
  7. Connecticut (CT)
  8. Delaware (DE)
  9. Florida (FL)
  10. Georgia (GA)
  11. Hawaii (HI)
  12. Idaho (ID)
  13. Illinois (IL)
  14. Indiana (IN)
  15. Iowa (IA)
  16. Kansas (KS)
  17. Kentucky (KY)
  18. Louisiana (LA)
  19. Maine (ME)
  20. Maryland (MD)
  21. Massachusetts (MA)
  22. Michigan (MI)
  23. Minnesota (MN)
  24. Mississippi (MS)
  25. Missouri (MO)
  26. Montana (MT)
  27. Nebraska (NE)
  28. Nevada (NV)
  29. New Hampshire (NH)
  30. New Jersey (NJ)
  31. New Mexico (NM)
  32. New York (NY)
  33. North Carolina (NC)
  34. North Dakota (ND)
  35. Ohio (OH)
  36. Oklahoma (OK)
  37. Oregon (OR)
  38. Pennsylvania (PA)
  39. Rhode Island (RI)
  40. South Carolina (SC)
  41. South Dakota (SD)
  42. Tennessee (TN)
  43. Texas (TX)
  44. Utah (UT)
  45. Vermont (VT)
  46. Virginia (VA)
  47. Washington (WA)
  48. West Virginia (WV)
  49. Wisconsin (WI)
  50. Wyoming (WY)

If you need an official reference for abbreviations, the USPS state and territory abbreviations page matches what most mailing systems accept.

How Alphabetical Order Behaves In Real Life

On paper, A–Z feels simple. In a spreadsheet, small formatting quirks can scramble the order or hide duplicates. These quick checks keep your list clean.

Use Plain Text For Names

Type state names as text, not as part of a longer sentence. If a cell reads “State: Alabama,” it will sort under “S,” not under “A.”

Watch Punctuation And Extra Spaces

Leading spaces sort before letters. A stray space before “Texas” can float it to the top. Double spaces inside a name can also trip up matching.

Handle “New” And “North” Like Normal Words

Alphabetical sorting uses the full phrase, so the “New” states sit together, and “North” comes before “South” when the rest matches.

Keep One Name Style

Pick one format and stick to it. “District of Columbia” and “Washington, DC” are both used, but mixing them can create two entries that mean the same place.

Sort A State List In Excel Or Google Sheets

Sorting works best when your data has a clear header row and one state per row. If you’re sorting names and abbreviations together, keep them in separate columns so they move as a pair.

Excel Steps

  1. Put a header in row 1, like “State” and “Code.”
  2. Select the full range you want sorted, not just one column.
  3. Go to Data → Sort.
  4. Pick the “State” column, then choose A to Z.
  5. Confirm “My data has headers” if you used headers.

Google Sheets Steps

  1. Select the full range.
  2. Click Data → Sort range.
  3. Check “Data has header row” when needed.
  4. Select the state-name column, then choose A → Z.

If you’re pulling data from a file, the U.S. Census Bureau publishes a plain reference table of state codes and names you can import as a sanity check: Census Bureau state code reference file.

Ways To Use An Alphabetical State List Without Rewriting It

Once you have a clean list, you can reuse it in lots of small projects. The trick is to keep the source list untouched, then build copies for each task.

School Notes And Flashcards

Write the states A–Z on one page, then hide the right side and quiz yourself on codes or capitals. Rotating through a fixed order helps you spot the ones you skip.

Mailing And Shipping Forms

Postal codes save space, but some forms still ask for the full state name. Keep both fields so you can paste either one fast.

Quizzes And Games

Try a timed run where you list states in alphabetical order without peeking. When you get stuck, mark the letter that tripped you up and practice that slice.

Data Projects

If you’re charting state-level data, consistent spelling matters more than fancy formatting. Use the same state names across every sheet so merges and filters behave.

Common Mistakes That Throw Off Alphabetical Order

Most errors come from tiny slips, not from misunderstanding the alphabet. A quick audit takes less time than retyping a whole list.

Missing A State Or Listing One Twice

Count your entries. You should have 50 state names if you’re doing states only. If your total is 49 or 51, scan for a duplicate like “Nevada” typed twice or a skipped item like “Rhode Island.”

Mixing Full Names And Short Forms

“Virginia” and “VA” refer to the same state, but a sort will treat them as different entries. Use one style per column, then keep the other style in a second column.

Slipping D.C. Into The State List

District of Columbia is not a state. Some worksheets want it listed, some don’t. If directions say “50 states,” keep D.C. separate so your count stays right.

Forgetting The Two “Virginia” States

West Virginia belongs near Washington and Wisconsin, not next to Virginia. A quick scan of the W-section catches this fast.

Sorting Only One Column

If you sort the “State” column but leave the “Code” column behind, your abbreviations won’t match the names anymore. Always select the full range before sorting.

Letter Blocks That Make The List Easier To Memorize

If you’re studying, a straight A–Z list can feel long. Breaking it into letter blocks gives your brain smaller chunks to rehearse.

A Through C

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut.

D Through H

Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii.

I Through M

Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana.

N Through O

Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon.

P Through W

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

When you practice, say the letter block out loud, then write it from memory. Check your work against the master list above and circle the first state you missed.

Spelling And Naming Notes That Save Time

Most state names are easy to type, but a few get misspelled a lot. One wrong letter can break a filter, a VLOOKUP, or a mail merge. If your list is tied to data, this quick check can spare you a headache.

Tricky Spellings People Mix Up

  • Massachusetts — watch the “chusetts” ending.
  • Connecticut — there’s no “o” after the “C.”
  • Pennsylvania — one “n” after “Pe,” then two “n” later.
  • Mississippi — it’s easy to swap letters in the middle; type it slowly once, then copy it.
  • Rhode Island — it’s two words, so keep a single space between them.
  • West Virginia — also two words; don’t mash it into “WestVirginia.”

Use One “United States” Style Across The Page

If you write “U.S.” in one spot and “US” in another, it won’t break sorting, but it can make your page feel inconsistent. Pick one style for your text, then stick with it.

Turn The List Into A Dropdown In Common Tools

A dropdown saves typing and cuts spelling errors. You build it once, then every user picks from the same set of names.

Google Sheets Data Validation

  1. Paste the state names into a single column.
  2. Select the cells where you want the dropdown.
  3. Go to Data → Data validation.
  4. Choose “Dropdown (from a range),” then point to your state list column.
  5. Save, then test a few picks to make sure the range is right.

Excel Data Validation

  1. Paste the state names into a column.
  2. Select the target cells.
  3. Go to Data → Data Validation.
  4. Allow: List, then select the state-name range.
  5. Click OK and test the dropdown arrow.

If you’re building a web form, the same idea applies: one source list, reused everywhere.

District And Territories In Alphabetical Order

Some lists need more than the 50 states. If your assignment or form mentions D.C. or U.S. territories, use this quick reference.

Area Postal Code Common Use
American Samoa AS Mailing and federal datasets
District of Columbia DC Mailing and some national lists
Guam GU Mailing and travel forms
Northern Mariana Islands MP Mailing and agency lists
Puerto Rico PR Mailing and shipping
U.S. Virgin Islands VI Mailing and shipping

United States State List In Alphabetical Order For Copy Paste

This section is built for quick pasting into a worksheet, note, or form. It repeats the state names only, in the same order, so you can grab what you need in seconds.

Comma-Separated List

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

Line-By-Line List

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

Quick Checks Before You Turn It In

If your teacher, boss, or form wants the classic sequence, stick to the 50-state list and keep spellings consistent. If the task asks for D.C. or territories, add them as a separate block so the reader sees what changed.

When you see people search “united states list alphabetical order,” they usually want a copy that’s clean, standard, and ready to paste. Use the lists above, and you’ll be set soon.