Quiz: Can You Name All 50 U.S. States Without a Map in Under 3 Minutes?

The United States of America spans 3,796,742 square miles, making it the fourth-largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, and China. Those many miles are divided into 50 states. Do you know all of their names? See how quickly you can identify all 50 U.S. states in the quiz below—no peeking allowed!

How many did you get right? Is it time to spend some quality minutes with a map, or are you an expert in U.S. geography? Read on to learn more about the U.S. states and how they came to be. (Naturally, spoilers for the quiz below.)

Some rapid-fire U.S. state trivia

The first official U.S. state was Delaware, which was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut followed. The most recent U.S. states to be admitted were Alaska, which joined the U.S. in January 1959, and Hawaii, which followed suit in August 1959. 

Each state acquired its name differently. Many took their names from Indigenous words, such as Connecticut, which takes its name from the Mohegan word Quinnehtukqut, meaning “upon the long tidal river.” 

Every state has its own unique nickname, many of which reference well-known landmarks, crops, or other defining aspects of the state. Just 14 states’ nicknames have been adopted in state legislation. 

The largest U.S. state is Alaska, which spans 665,384 square miles. Texas is second-largest, at 268,596 square miles. The smallest is Rhode Island, which measures just 1,545 square miles. Meanwhile, the most populous state in America is California, which is home to some 39 million people—more than the 21 least populous states combined. The state with the lowest population is Wyoming, which has just around 576,851 people. 

The U.S. state that borders the fewest states is Maine, while Tennessee and Missouri are tied as the states that border the most states; each shares a border with eight other states. The state with the longest coastline is Alaska, which has a longer coastline than all other 49 states put together.

So now you know a bit more about America’s 50 states! The best way to experience them, of course, is by visiting them—ideally on a road trip that allows you to see the nation’s extraordinary natural beauty, diversity, and many extremely unique roadside attractions. In the meantime, you can also check out Mental Floss’s vast array of state-related fun facts and geography quizzes for more fun ways to test your memory and expand your knowledge of the wondrous world we live in.