Learn the US states by playing
State Roamer is a 50 states map quiz: practise the states of the USA and their capitals on a blank map. No sign-up, no download – open it and play. There are four modes:
- Explore – hover over a state (or tap it on mobile) to see its name, capital and region. State names, capitals and region colours can each be switched on and off.
- Find it – the game names a state or a capital, and you click the right state on the map.
- Capitals – a state is highlighted and you pick its capital from four cities.
- Which state? – a true blank-map quiz: name the highlighted state.
In the Area menu you can pick a region, such as the Northeast or the West: the map zooms in and the quizzes only ask about its states. The map zooms, and the two smallest states (Rhode Island and Delaware) get a circle so you can hit them on a phone too. When a name doesn't fit, the map shows the two-letter postal code (CA, TX…). Every round ends with a score, and Practise mistakes asks only the states you got wrong.
The 50 states and capitals – list
Here are all 50 states in alphabetical order, with their capitals and regions:
| State | Code | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Montgomery | Southeast |
| Alaska | AK | Juneau | West |
| Arizona | AZ | Phoenix | Southwest |
| Arkansas | AR | Little Rock | Southeast |
| California | CA | Sacramento | West |
| Colorado | CO | Denver | West |
| Connecticut | CT | Hartford | Northeast |
| Delaware | DE | Dover | Northeast |
| Florida | FL | Tallahassee | Southeast |
| Georgia | GA | Atlanta | Southeast |
| Hawaii | HI | Honolulu | West |
| Idaho | ID | Boise | West |
| Illinois | IL | Springfield | Midwest |
| Indiana | IN | Indianapolis | Midwest |
| Iowa | IA | Des Moines | Midwest |
| Kansas | KS | Topeka | Midwest |
| Kentucky | KY | Frankfort | Southeast |
| Louisiana | LA | Baton Rouge | Southeast |
| Maine | ME | Augusta | Northeast |
| Maryland | MD | Annapolis | Northeast |
| Massachusetts | MA | Boston | Northeast |
| Michigan | MI | Lansing | Midwest |
| Minnesota | MN | Saint Paul | Midwest |
| Mississippi | MS | Jackson | Southeast |
| Missouri | MO | Jefferson City | Midwest |
| Montana | MT | Helena | West |
| Nebraska | NE | Lincoln | Midwest |
| Nevada | NV | Carson City | West |
| New Hampshire | NH | Concord | Northeast |
| New Jersey | NJ | Trenton | Northeast |
| New Mexico | NM | Santa Fe | Southwest |
| New York | NY | Albany | Northeast |
| North Carolina | NC | Raleigh | Southeast |
| North Dakota | ND | Bismarck | Midwest |
| Ohio | OH | Columbus | Midwest |
| Oklahoma | OK | Oklahoma City | Southwest |
| Oregon | OR | Salem | West |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Harrisburg | Northeast |
| Rhode Island | RI | Providence | Northeast |
| South Carolina | SC | Columbia | Southeast |
| South Dakota | SD | Pierre | Midwest |
| Tennessee | TN | Nashville | Southeast |
| Texas | TX | Austin | Southwest |
| Utah | UT | Salt Lake City | West |
| Vermont | VT | Montpelier | Northeast |
| Virginia | VA | Richmond | Southeast |
| Washington | WA | Olympia | West |
| West Virginia | WV | Charleston | Southeast |
| Wisconsin | WI | Madison | Midwest |
| Wyoming | WY | Cheyenne | West |
Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is a federal district, not a state, so it isn't on the list. The regions follow the five-region model often used in school; the official Census Bureau split has four.
The regions of the USA
- Northeast (11): Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
- Southeast (12): Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
- Midwest (12): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Southwest (4): Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
- West (11): Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Trick questions: when the capital isn't the famous city
In many states the capital is not the biggest or best-known city. These are the easiest ones to get wrong:
- California: Not Los Angeles or San Francisco: the capital is Sacramento.
- Florida: Not Miami: the capital is Tallahassee.
- Illinois: Not Chicago: the capital is Springfield.
- Kentucky: Not Louisville: the capital is Frankfort.
- Louisiana: Not New Orleans: the capital is Baton Rouge.
- Maryland: Not Baltimore: the capital is Annapolis.
- Michigan: Not Detroit: the capital is Lansing.
- Missouri: Not Kansas City or St. Louis: the capital is Jefferson City.
- Nevada: Not Las Vegas: the capital is Carson City.
- New Jersey: Not Newark: the capital is Trenton.
- New York: Not New York City: the capital is Albany.
- Oregon: Not Portland: the capital is Salem.
- Pennsylvania: Not Philadelphia or Pittsburgh: the capital is Harrisburg.
- Texas: Not Houston or Dallas: the capital is Austin.
- Wisconsin: Not Milwaukee: the capital is Madison.
Tips for learning the states fast
- Go region by region. Pick a region in the Area menu: 4–12 states at a time are much easier to remember than all fifty.
- Places first, then capitals. Use "Find it" until you know where every state is, then move on to "Capitals".
- Start with the big shapes. Alaska, Texas, California, Montana and Florida are easy to recognise – their neighbours follow from them.
- Pairs and corners. North and South Dakota and North and South Carolina sit on top of each other; Virginia and West Virginia side by side. Four states meet at the Four Corners: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
- Practise your mistakes. "Practise mistakes" at the end of a round asks only the ones you missed – five minutes a day and you'll have them in a few days.
Frequently asked questions
How many states are there in the United States?
There are 50 states. Washington, D.C., the federal capital, is not a state but a federal district, so it isn't part of the game.
What is the capital of the United States?
Washington, D.C. It is not the same as Washington State, in the far north-west of the country, whose capital is Olympia.
What are the largest and smallest states?
By area the largest is Alaska, then Texas and California; the smallest is Rhode Island. By population California is the largest and Wyoming the smallest.
Why isn't the biggest city the capital in so many states?
Many capitals were chosen in the 18th and 19th centuries: close to the middle of the state so everyone could reach it, or as a compromise between two big cities. That's why the capital of California is Sacramento (not Los Angeles), New York's is Albany and Texas's is Austin.
Why are Alaska and Hawaii in boxes?
Because they are far from the other 48 states: Alaska borders Canada in the north-west, and Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific. US maps usually show them in small insets in the bottom-left corner. In reality Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas – the inset shows it scaled down.
What are the regions of the USA?
The game uses the five regions often taught in school: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West. The official Census Bureau split has four regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) and nine divisions, and puts some states elsewhere.
How can I learn the 50 state capitals fast?
Go region by region: pick one in the Area menu and master its 4–12 states before moving on. First learn where the states are with "Find it", then their capitals. Watch out for the traps where the capital is not the famous city (California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania), and use "Practise mistakes" at the end of a round.
Is State Roamer free? Do I need to sign up?
It is free, with no sign-up and no ads. Your best scores are stored only in your own browser.
Ready for Europe? Capital Roamer works the same way, with the 46 countries of Europe and their capitals.