The complete list (alphabetical)
| State | Code | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Montgomery |
| Alaska | AK | Juneau |
| Arizona | AZ | Phoenix |
| Arkansas | AR | Little Rock |
| California | CA | Sacramento |
| Colorado | CO | Denver |
| Connecticut | CT | Hartford |
| Delaware | DE | Dover |
| Florida | FL | Tallahassee |
| Georgia | GA | Atlanta |
| Hawaii | HI | Honolulu |
| Idaho | ID | Boise |
| Illinois | IL | Springfield |
| Indiana | IN | Indianapolis |
| Iowa | IA | Des Moines |
| Kansas | KS | Topeka |
| Kentucky | KY | Frankfort |
| Louisiana | LA | Baton Rouge |
| Maine | ME | Augusta |
| Maryland | MD | Annapolis |
| Massachusetts | MA | Boston |
| Michigan | MI | Lansing |
| Minnesota | MN | Saint Paul |
| Mississippi | MS | Jackson |
| Missouri | MO | Jefferson City |
| Montana | MT | Helena |
| Nebraska | NE | Lincoln |
| Nevada | NV | Carson City |
| New Hampshire | NH | Concord |
| New Jersey | NJ | Trenton |
| New Mexico | NM | Santa Fe |
| New York | NY | Albany |
| North Carolina | NC | Raleigh |
| North Dakota | ND | Bismarck |
| Ohio | OH | Columbus |
| Oklahoma | OK | Oklahoma City |
| Oregon | OR | Salem |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Harrisburg |
| Rhode Island | RI | Providence |
| South Carolina | SC | Columbia |
| South Dakota | SD | Pierre |
| Tennessee | TN | Nashville |
| Texas | TX | Austin |
| Utah | UT | Salt Lake City |
| Vermont | VT | Montpelier |
| Virginia | VA | Richmond |
| Washington | WA | Olympia |
| West Virginia | WV | Charleston |
| Wisconsin | WI | Madison |
| Wyoming | WY | Cheyenne |
How the codes are organized
The US Postal Service (USPS) standardized state abbreviations to two letters in 1963 so addresses would fit on early automated sorting equipment. The codes are designed to be unambiguous: each is unique, no two states share a code, and you can tell a state apart even with smudged ink.
Most codes follow obvious patterns:
- First two letters of the state name when possible: AL (Alabama), AR (Arkansas), CO (Colorado), DE (Delaware), FL (Florida), GA (Georgia), HI (Hawaii), ID (Idaho), IN (Indiana), IA (Iowa), MA (Massachusetts), MI (Michigan), NE (Nebraska), OH (Ohio), OR (Oregon), UT (Utah), VA (Virginia), WA (Washington), WI (Wisconsin), WY (Wyoming).
- First and a later distinguishing letter when two states share initials: KS / KY (Kansas/Kentucky), MD / MT (Maryland/Montana), NC / ND / NH / NJ / NM / NV / NY (the seven Ns), SC / SD, TN / TX, WV (vs Washington and Wisconsin).
- The M-states all start with M and use their 2nd or 3rd letter: MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT. Eight in a row — a classic memory trap.
The 6 abbreviations everyone confuses
- AL vs AK — Alabama is in the deep south. Alaska has a K, like cold KK ice. AK ends in K, the state with the K.
- MI / MN / MS / MO — four M states starting with the same letter. Michigan (the lakes one). Minnesota (10,000 lakes, ends in N for North). Mississippi (the river state, double-S like the river). Missouri (St. Louis, ends in O like "Show-Me state O").
- NC / SC vs ND / SD — Carolinas are coastal east. Dakotas are landlocked plains. Easy: C for Coast (Carolinas), D for Dakota.
- NH / NJ / NM / NY / NV / NE / NC / ND — eight N-states. Group them: 4 New___ (NH, NJ, NM, NY), 1 Nevada, 1 Nebraska, 2 Dakotas-and-Carolinas-North.
- MA / MD / ME — three Northeast states. Massachusetts (the BIG one, MA). Maryland (next door to DC, MD). Maine (the corner one, ME).
- WA / WV / WI / WY — four W-states. Washington (NW corner, WA). West Virginia (Civil War split, WV). Wisconsin (cheese state, WI). Wyoming (least populous, WY).
Drill abbreviations daily
Statedoku uses state codes as constraints. Five minutes a day, you'll never confuse MI and MO again.
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