how many states are there in usa
There are 50 states in the United States of America, a fact that's been steady since Alaska and Hawaii joined in 1959.
Common Confusion
People sometimes think it's 52 because they mix up states with territories like Puerto Rico or the federal district of Washington, D.C.
D.C. serves as the nation's capital but lacks full state status, while Puerto Rico and places like Guam are U.S. territories with limited voting rights in Congress.
This mix-up pops up often in trivia quizzes and online forums, where folks debate it endlessly.
Full List of States
Here's every one of the 50 states , alphabetized for easy reference, complete with capitals from reliable breakdowns:
| State | Capital |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery |
| Alaska | Juneau |
| Arizona | Phoenix |
| Arkansas | Little Rock |
| California | Sacramento |
| Colorado | Denver |
| Connecticut | Hartford |
| Delaware | Dover |
| Florida | Tallahassee |
| Georgia | Atlanta |
| Hawaii | Honolulu |
| Idaho | Boise |
| Illinois | Springfield |
| Indiana | Indianapolis |
| Iowa | Des Moines |
| Kansas | Topeka |
| Kentucky | Frankfort |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge |
| Maine | Augusta |
| Maryland | Annapolis |
| Massachusetts | Boston |
| Michigan | Lansing |
| Minnesota | St. Paul |
| Mississippi | Jackson |
| Missouri | Jefferson City |
| Montana | Helena |
| Nebraska | Lincoln |
| Nevada | Carson City |
| New Hampshire | Concord |
| New Jersey | Trenton |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe |
| New York | Albany |
| North Carolina | Raleigh |
| North Dakota | Bismarck |
| Ohio | Columbus |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City |
| Oregon | Salem |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg |
| Rhode Island | Providence |
| South Carolina | Columbia |
| South Dakota | Pierre |
| Tennessee | Nashville |
| Texas | Austin |
| Utah | Salt Lake City |
| Vermont | Montpelier |
| Virginia | Richmond |
| Washington | Olympia |
| West Virginia | Charleston |
| Wisconsin | Madison |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne |
Quick Facts
- Total land area : Spans about 3.8 million square miles across these states.
- Recent stability : No changes since 1959; talks of new states (like splitting California) fizzle out.
- Forum buzz : Reddit threads from 2024 still correct folks claiming "52 states."
TL;DR: 50 states—no more, no less.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
