US States by Region

The United States has 50 states, which the Census Bureau groups into four broad regions: the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, and the West. This tool is a filterable reference to all 50 states with their postal abbreviation, capital, and region. Use the search box to find a state or capital, and the buttons to show a single region.

The four Census regions

The official grouping used by the Census Bureau places the 50 states into four regions, further divided into nine divisions. This classification is the reference for national statistics (population, economy, weather) and shapes how Americans talk about their country.

Northeast

Nine states, from New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut) to the Mid-Atlantic states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania). It is the most densely populated region, the historic cradle of the Thirteen Colonies, anchored by the Boston–New York–Philadelphia urban corridor.

Midwest

Twelve states in the center of the country, around the Great Lakes (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota) and the Great Plains (Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota). A farming and manufacturing region often called the "heartland."

South

Sixteen states, the most populous region. It runs from the Atlantic coast (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida) to the Gulf of Mexico and the south-central states (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia). The Census attaches Washington, D.C. to this region geographically.

West

Thirteen states, the largest region by area. It covers the mountain states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico) and the Pacific states (California, Oregon, Washington), plus Alaska and Hawaii, the two non-contiguous states.

What about Washington, D.C.?

Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) is the federal capital and is not a state. It is a federal district created by the Constitution, with no voting representation in Congress, although it does have three electoral votes. It therefore does not appear in the list of 50 states above.

The five major territories

Beyond the states, the United States administers five inhabited territories whose residents are US citizens or nationals:

• Puerto Rico (Caribbean, the most populous)
• Guam (Pacific)
• U.S. Virgin Islands (Caribbean)
• American Samoa (Pacific)
• Northern Mariana Islands (Pacific)

For a detailed look at the terrain, climate, and history of each region, see our US geography and regions guide. To quickly look up a capital or abbreviation, use the states, capitals and abbreviations tool.

Related articles:

• US geography and regions
• States, capitals and abbreviations
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