US State Abbreviations and Capitals

The United States is composed of 50 states, geographically spanning the North American continent from the Pacific (e.g., Hawaii and California) to the Atlantic (e.g., New York and Florida), and from the cold north (Alaska) to the warm south (Texas). Each state’s abbreviation is standardized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) for use in mail and official documents. The capital is the administrative center of each state, while nicknames reflect their history, culture, or natural features. For example, Arizona’s “Grand Canyon State” comes from its famous natural wonder, the Grand Canyon, and Texas’s “Lone Star State” originates from the single star on its state flag. The following table lists the basic information for all states in alphabetical order.

Overview of US States

State	Abbrv.	Capital	Nickname(s)
Alabama	AL	Montgomery	Yellowhammer State, Heart of Dixie, Camellia State
Alaska	AK	Juneau	The Last Frontier
Arizona	AZ	Phoenix	Grand Canyon State, Copper State
Arkansas	AR	Little Rock	The Natural State, Land of Opportunity, The Razorback State
California	CA	Sacramento	The Golden State
Colorado	CO	Denver	The Centennial State
Connecticut	CT	Hartford	The Constitution State, Nutmeg State
Delaware	DE	Dover	The First State, The Diamond State
Florida	FL	Tallahassee	The Sunshine State
Georgia	GA	Atlanta	The Peach State, Empire State of the South
Hawaii	HI	Honolulu	The Aloha State
Idaho	ID	Boise	The Gem State
Illinois	IL	Springfield	The Prairie State, Land of Lincoln
Indiana	IN	Indianapolis	The Hoosier State
Iowa	IA	Des Moines	The Hawkeye State
Kansas	KS	Topeka	The Sunflower State, The Wheat State
Kentucky	KY	Frankfort	The Bluegrass State
Louisiana	LA	Baton Rouge	The Pelican State, Bayou State
Maine	ME	Augusta	The Pine Tree State
Maryland	MD	Annapolis	The Old Line State, Free State
Massachusetts	MA	Boston	The Bay State, The Pilgrim State
Michigan	MI	Lansing	The Great Lakes State, The Wolverine State
Minnesota	MN	St. Paul	The North Star State, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Mississippi	MS	Jackson	The Magnolia State
Missouri	MO	Jefferson City	The Show-Me State
Montana	MT	Helena	Big Sky Country, The Treasure State
Nebraska	NE	Lincoln	The Cornhusker State
Nevada	NV	Carson City	The Silver State, Sagebrush State
New Hampshire	NH	Concord	The Granite State
New Jersey	NJ	Trenton	The Garden State
New Mexico	NM	Santa Fe	The Land of Enchantment
New York	NY	Albany	The Empire State
North Carolina	NC	Raleigh	The Tar Heel State, Old North State
North Dakota	ND	Bismarck	The Peace Garden State, Roughrider State
Ohio	OH	Columbus	The Buckeye State
Oklahoma	OK	Oklahoma City	The Sooner State
Oregon	OR	Salem	The Beaver State
Pennsylvania	PA	Harrisburg	The Keystone State
Rhode Island	RI	Providence	The Ocean State, Little Rhody
South Carolina	SC	Columbia	The Palmetto State
South Dakota	SD	Pierre	The Mount Rushmore State
Tennessee	TN	Nashville	The Volunteer State
Texas	TX	Austin	The Lone Star State
Utah	UT	Salt Lake City	The Beehive State
Vermont	VT	Montpelier	The Green Mountain State
Virginia	VA	Richmond	The Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents
Washington	WA	Olympia	The Evergreen State
West Virginia	WV	Charleston	The Mountain State
Wisconsin	WI	Madison	The Badger State, America’s Dairyland
Wyoming	WY	Cheyenne	The Equality State, The Cowboy State