List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation
Encyclopedia
This is a list of U.S. state abbreviations. Abbreviations and codes for the states
and possessions of the United States are used for postal addresses, data processing, general abbreviations, and other purposes. (Also included in this list are abbreviations for three independent nations related to the United States through the Compact of Free Association
.)
recognized common abbreviations for states and territories. However, abbreviations were only accepted because of their popularity; the Post Office preferred all names spelled out in full to avoid confusion.
The traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories, widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations, are still commonly used for other purposes (such as legal citation
), and are still recognized (though discouraged) by the Postal Service.
The modern two-letter abbreviated codes for the states and territories originated during the Post Office's introduction of ZIP code
s in 1963. The purpose was to make room for the ZIP codes in the address, rather than to standardize state abbreviations per se.
Since 1963, only one state abbreviation has been changed. Originally Nebraska
was shortened to "NB", but this was changed to "NE" in November of 1969 to avoid confusion with New Brunswick
in Canada.
The postal abbreviations, consisting of only two letters, are complicated by the fact that there are eight states whose names begin with M, and another eight whose names begin with N. Some of the resulting abbreviations, instituted to avoid duplication, are not intuitive and can be confusing.
Prior to 1987, when the U.S. Secretary of Commerce approved the two-letter codes for use in government documents, the United States Government Printing Office
(GPO) suggested their own set of abbreviations, with some states being left unabbreviated. Today, the GPO supports United States Postal Service standard.
, the usage guide for most United States newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name (for example, "Santa Ana, Calif."). AP suggests spelling out "Alaska", "Hawaii", and all state names with five or fewer letters; and, unlike the old GPO recommendations, AP suggests spelling out the names of all non-state territories, with the exception of the District of Columbia (D.C.). Legal citation
manuals, such as The Bluebook
and The ALWD Citation Manual
, typically use these "traditional abbreviations" as well.
Image:US state abbrev map.png|center
poly 62 5 102 15 96 47 81 44 69 44 61 42 54 42 52 35 46 32 46 9 Washington
poly 45 32 24 70 29 75 35 77 63 85 87 90 92 67 91 65 91 60 94 60 99 51 97 47 84 44 69 44 61 43 54 42 52 36 Oregon
poly 27 75 15 102 30 162 43 191 86 195 86 187 91 182 93 177 54 116 62 85 California
poly 4 227 75 227 76 279 3 278 Hawaii
poly 78 227 151 227 196 295 197 323 4 324 4 281 77 282 Alaska
poly 111 17 103 16 96 47 99 52 94 61 91 65 86 90 133 99 138 71 136 68 133 69 123 70 118 55 114 55 118 44 116 44 110 35 107 25 Idaho
circle 403 30 10 Vermont
circle 428 30 11 New Hampshire
circle 484 72 11 Massachusetts
circle 484 94 9 Rhode Island
circle 484 117 10 Connecticut
circle 485 137 10 New Jersey
circle 485 159 10 Delaware
circle 485 182 11 Maryland
poly 245 31 198 30 194 63 250 65 250 59 North Dakota
poly 252 103 252 72 248 68 251 65 194 62 191 95 236 98 239 101 241 99 246 99 South Dakota
poly 64 86 110 95 97 160 93 158 91 169 55 116 Nevada
poly 110 95 133 99 132 109 148 111 142 157 100 149 Utah
poly 142 155 99 149 98 156 95 159 91 158 93 175 86 194 84 197 115 215 134 218 Arizona
poly 193 73 138 67 132 109 190 116 Wyoming
poly 205 118 148 112 143 155 203 162 Colorado
poly 144 156 135 217 142 217 144 213 158 214 159 212 191 216 196 163 New Mexico
poly 251 103 247 99 239 99 235 97 191 96 189 116 205 118 204 129 261 130 257 124 Nebraska
poly 262 130 206 130 203 162 266 163 267 139 263 136 266 133 Kansas
poly 195 162 195 167 220 167 220 189 231 195 236 195 240 198 251 198 263 198 270 201 268 176 268 164 Oklahoma
poly 243 284 225 279 220 264 209 246 204 241 196 240 191 242 187 249 178 245 175 242 170 228 158 215 158 213 190 217 195 168 219 169 219 189 228 193 236 196 243 196 262 197 269 200 273 201 275 218 279 230 277 244 Texas
poly 302 40 291 39 288 40 279 36 267 35 262 33 246 32 251 63 248 69 253 74 252 91 294 91 291 85 280 78 280 70 279 67 282 62 283 54 Minnesota
poly 293 92 251 92 251 101 258 123 291 123 292 125 297 120 296 113 301 112 303 106 298 100 295 100 Iowa
poly 311 172 313 165 314 166 315 160 313 160 310 153 303 148 305 141 300 140 300 136 293 129 293 123 258 124 262 131 265 132 262 136 266 140 268 169 305 168 306 172 Missouri
poly 308 183 312 173 306 173 308 167 268 170 269 201 273 201 273 207 300 206 300 202 299 198 311 173 Arkansas
poly 314 233 319 238 327 248 320 252 277 244 278 228 275 220 272 207 300 207 303 216 298 228 313 228 Louisiana
poly 356 104 363 90 352 65 345 53 316 45 299 56 302 60 316 63 320 70 322 71 326 67 331 105 Michigan
poly 299 56 294 57 294 54 284 57 283 64 279 69 281 77 293 87 296 99 301 102 320 100 325 69 321 71 318 66 318 64 301 59 Wisconsin
poly 325 109 326 137 328 141 324 151 323 157 320 156 321 160 315 159 314 161 311 161 312 153 303 148 305 141 299 139 299 135 292 127 296 118 296 115 301 111 302 106 300 102 298 100 321 100 Illinois
poly 346 104 331 107 323 109 327 138 324 151 336 151 338 146 341 149 345 140 350 138 Indiana
poly 380 97 371 105 364 107 360 105 346 106 350 134 354 135 358 138 367 137 371 140 373 134 375 134 376 130 382 125 382 111 Ohio
poly 383 112 382 125 376 129 375 133 373 133 372 137 370 140 370 143 378 151 381 151 381 150 384 150 390 147 392 141 394 135 398 135 400 130 403 126 403 123 405 123 406 124 408 124 408 122 406 120 403 121 395 126 393 121 393 121 389 123 385 123 West Virginia
poly 370 143 370 140 366 137 363 138 358 138 355 136 350 134 350 137 345 140 341 148 338 146 336 150 324 151 323 156 320 156 320 159 316 159 315 165 313 167 321 167 325 165 333 164 343 163 351 162 362 162 365 160 370 156 373 153 376 150 Kentucky
poly 381 158 372 159 372 160 364 160 364 161 356 162 326 165 325 166 313 167 312 174 308 184 324 183 326 182 360 179 360 176 373 167 381 161 Tennessee
poly 326 183 322 183 315 184 306 184 300 196 300 207 302 214 298 224 297 228 310 228 311 227 314 227 315 233 317 236 328 235 327 226 326 219 Mississippi
poly 349 181 326 182 326 219 328 234 332 238 340 234 335 225 359 224 358 217 357 207 348 181 326 182 Alabama
poly 369 178 363 179 360 179 355 179 354 180 348 180 357 207 359 223 361 226 384 225 386 227 388 227 387 222 393 222 395 206 388 197 374 184 369 182 Georgia
poly 395 222 387 222 387 226 385 227 385 225 367 226 360 226 358 223 354 224 347 225 335 226 340 234 360 241 380 244 385 267 400 281 392 292 400 293 423 281 412 248 Florida
poly 413 184 402 175 397 175 397 176 392 176 389 173 380 173 369 178 369 182 374 184 388 198 393 206 397 206 414 190 South Carolina
poly 411 154 404 155 387 158 381 158 380 161 372 167 362 174 359 177 359 179 364 179 369 178 378 174 385 173 389 173 392 176 397 176 397 175 402 175 413 183 416 186 440 164 434 151 429 150 420 152 North Carolina
poly 420 134 416 133 414 132 414 129 415 129 415 126 412 125 410 124 408 123 408 124 405 124 404 123 403 124 403 126 399 131 398 134 394 135 390 147 384 150 381 150 380 151 378 151 376 149 370 154 370 156 364 160 370 160 374 159 380 158 388 158 411 154 429 150 432 148 436 133 433 131 428 134 Virginia
poly 423 115 416 116 415 117 411 118 406 120 410 124 413 125 414 123 416 124 415 126 414 132 419 134 422 134 428 134 436 129 428 129 425 122 423 116 Maryland
poly 405 120 393 121 394 125 395 126 Maryland
poly 413 123 413 126 416 126 416 124 414 123 District of Columbia
poly 426 114 423 115 427 128 436 129 428 120 Delaware
poly 452 95 441 104 436 102 435 98 427 96 422 90 387 97 385 95 391 90 392 87 389 83 394 80 402 80 404 79 410 76 409 68 412 65 416 59 418 57 429 54 431 61 433 69 436 78 436 90 437 97 439 98 448 94 New York
poly 424 114 421 116 416 116 407 119 401 120 394 121 391 122 386 122 385 116 382 99 386 95 388 97 422 90 427 96 426 105 430 109 428 112 427 114 Pennsylvania
poly 427 96 426 104 430 108 430 110 426 114 427 118 428 120 432 124 441 117 441 105 436 102 435 98 New Jersey
poly 452 91 451 88 450 86 450 83 448 83 446 84 442 85 437 85 437 89 438 94 437 96 439 98 441 96 445 94 Connecticut
poly 452 90 455 91 454 86 453 82 450 83 451 88 Rhode Island
poly 458 72 452 73 452 74 447 76 441 77 436 79 436 86 436 89 438 85 444 88 448 83 450 83 452 82 457 90 468 84 467 78 Massachusetts
poly 455 69 455 73 452 73 452 74 447 75 448 76 441 76 435 62 442 64 442 62 441 61 441 59 443 59 443 51 443 47 446 47 452 66 456 69 New Hampshire
poly 443 51 439 51 436 52 429 54 431 65 434 72 436 79 447 72 441 65 442 64 442 61 441 60 441 59 443 59 443 57 444 56 444 54 Vermont
poly 455 68 458 68 479 46 477 39 465 19 452 19 448 32 447 42 446 47 450 61 Maine
desc bottom-left
The United States Postal Service
has established a set of uppercase abbreviations to help process mail with optical character recognition
and other automated equipment. There are also official USPS abbreviations for other parts of the address, such as street designators (street, avenue, road, etc.).
These postal abbreviations are distinguished from traditional abbreviations such as Calif., Fla., or Tex. The Associated Press
Stylebook
states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. However, the Chicago Manual of Style
now recommends use of the uppercase two-letter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option.
The postal abbreviation is the same as ISO 3166-2
subdivision code for all fifty states.
These codes do not overlap with the thirteen Canadian subnational postal abbreviations
. The code for Nebraska changed from NB to NE in November 1969 to avoid a conflict with New Brunswick.
establishes numeric and alphabetic state codes for each state and for many outlying areas. The FIPS numeric code is marked 'FIPS' on the table above. The FIPS alphabetic state code is the same as the USPS code except for U.S. Minor Outlying Islands which have a FIPS code (UM) but no USPS code, and the U.S. Military Mail locations which have USPS codes (AA, AE, AP) but no FIPS code.
The U.S. Coast Guard
uses a set of 2-letter prefixes for vessel numbers, marked (USCG) on the large table above. The other 39 states and the District of Columbia have the same USPS and USCG abbreviations. USCG prefixes have also been established for five outlying territories, all of which are listed above, though they differ from the USPS code only in the case of the Mariana Islands. The small table below shows the 11 states that are different plus the Mariana Islands.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
and possessions of the United States are used for postal addresses, data processing, general abbreviations, and other purposes. (Also included in this list are abbreviations for three independent nations related to the United States through the Compact of Free Association
Compact of Free Association
The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated...
.)
History
As early as October 1874, the United States Post OfficeUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
recognized common abbreviations for states and territories. However, abbreviations were only accepted because of their popularity; the Post Office preferred all names spelled out in full to avoid confusion.
The traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories, widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations, are still commonly used for other purposes (such as legal citation
Legal citation
Legal citation is the practice of crediting and referring to authoritative documents and sources. The most common sources of authority cited are court decisions , statutes, regulations, government documents, treaties, and scholarly writing....
), and are still recognized (though discouraged) by the Postal Service.
The modern two-letter abbreviated codes for the states and territories originated during the Post Office's introduction of ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s in 1963. The purpose was to make room for the ZIP codes in the address, rather than to standardize state abbreviations per se.
Since 1963, only one state abbreviation has been changed. Originally Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
was shortened to "NB", but this was changed to "NE" in November of 1969 to avoid confusion with New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in Canada.
The postal abbreviations, consisting of only two letters, are complicated by the fact that there are eight states whose names begin with M, and another eight whose names begin with N. Some of the resulting abbreviations, instituted to avoid duplication, are not intuitive and can be confusing.
Prior to 1987, when the U.S. Secretary of Commerce approved the two-letter codes for use in government documents, the United States Government Printing Office
United States Government Printing Office
The United States Government Printing Office is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office prints documents produced by and for the federal government, including the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Executive Office of the President, executive...
(GPO) suggested their own set of abbreviations, with some states being left unabbreviated. Today, the GPO supports United States Postal Service standard.
List
| State or Territory |
USPS |
Old GPO |
AP |
Other (status) |
FIPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... |
AL | Ala. | Ala. | 01 | |
| Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... |
AK | Alaska | Alaska | Alas. | 02 |
| Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
AZ | Ariz. | Ariz. | Az. | 04 |
| Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... |
AR | Ark. | Ark. | 05 | |
| California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
CA | Calif. | Calif. | Ca. or Cal. or Cali., CFUSCG | 06 |
| Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
CO | Colo. | Colo. | Col., CLUSCG | 08 |
| Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately... |
CT | Conn. | Conn. | Ct. | 09 |
| Delaware Delaware Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania... |
DE | Del. | Del. | De., DLUSCG | 10 |
| District of Columbia | DC | D.C. | D.C. | DC or Wash., D.C. (Federal district) | 11 |
| Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
FL | Fla. | Fla. | Fl. or Flor. | 12 |
| Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... |
GA | Ga. | Ga. | 13 | |
| Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... |
HI | Hawaii | Hawaii | H.I., HAUSCG | 15 |
| Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... |
ID | Idaho | Idaho | Id. or Ida. | 16 |
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
IL | Ill. | Ill. | Il. or Ills. | 17 |
| Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
IN | Ind. | Ind. | In. | 18 |
| Iowa Iowa Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New... |
IA | Iowa | Iowa | Ia. | 19 |
| Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
KS | Kans. | Kan. | Ks. or Ka., KAUSCG | 20 |
| Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... |
KY | Ky. | Ky. | Ken. or Kent. | 21 |
| Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... |
LA | La. | La. | 22 | |
| Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... |
ME | Maine | Maine | Me. | 23 |
| Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... |
MD | Md. | Md. | 24 | |
| Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
MA | Mass. | Mass. | MSUSCG | 25 |
| Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
MI | Mich. | Mich. | MCUSCG | 26 |
| Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
MN | Minn. | Minn. | Mn. | 27 |
| Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... |
MS | Miss. | Miss. | MIUSCG | 28 |
| Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... |
MO | Mo. | Mo. | 29 | |
| Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... |
MT | Mont. | Mont. | 30 | |
| Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
NE | Nebr. | Neb. | NBUSCG | 31 |
| Nevada Nevada Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... |
NV | Nev. | Nev. | Nv. | 32 |
| New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... |
NH | N.H. | N.H. | 33 | |
| New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
NJ | N.J. | N.J. | 34 | |
| New Mexico New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... |
NM | N. Mex. | N.M. | New M. | 35 |
| New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
NY | N.Y. | N.Y. | N. York | 36 |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
NC | N.C. | N.C. | N. Car. | 37 |
| North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... |
ND | N. Dak. | N.D. | 38 | |
| Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... |
OH | Ohio | Ohio | O. or Oh. | 39 |
| Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state... |
OK | Okla. | Okla. | Ok. | 40 |
| Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
OR | Oreg. | Ore. | Or. | 41 |
| Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
PA | Pa. | Pa. | Penn. or Penna. | 42 |
| Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
RI | R.I. | R.I. | R.I. and P.P. | 44 |
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
SC | S.C. | S.C. | S. Car. | 45 |
| South Dakota South Dakota South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over... |
SD | S. Dak. | S.D. | Sodak | 46 |
| Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
TN | Tenn. | Tenn. | Tn. | 47 |
| Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
TX | Tex. | Texas | Tx. | 48 |
| Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... |
UT | Utah | Utah | Ut. | 49 |
| Vermont Vermont Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... |
VT | Vt. | Vt. | 50 | |
| Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
VA | Va. | Va. | Virg. | 51 |
| Washington | WA | Wash. | Wash. | Wa. or Wn., WNUSCG | 53 |
| West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... |
WV | W. Va. | W.Va. | W.V. or W. Virg. | 54 |
| Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
WI | Wis. | Wis. | Wi. or Wisc., WSUSCG | 55 |
| Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... |
WY | Wyo. | Wyo. | Wy. | 56 |
| American Samoa American Samoa American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa... |
AS | A.S. | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) ASUSCG |
60 | |
| Guam Guam Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United... |
GU | Guam | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) GUUSCG |
66 | |
| Northern Mariana Islands Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines... |
MP | M.P. | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) CMUSCG |
69 | |
| Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... |
PR | P.R. | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) PRUSCG |
72 | |
| Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S... |
VI | V.I. | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) U.S.V.I., VIUSCG |
78 | |
| U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | (Insular area Insular area An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States... ) 'UM' is the FIPS alphabetic code for the entire group. Each individual has a separate numeric FIPS state code listed here FIPS state code FIPS state codes were numeric and two-letter alphabetic codes defined in U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 5-2 to identify U.S. states and certain other associated areas... . The U.S. Postal Service does not employ the term U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, as mail for any of these islands is routed indirectly (use PR, HI, AA or AP) |
||||
| Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c... |
FM | (Freely associated state) | 64 | ||
| Marshall Islands Marshall Islands The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182... |
MH | (Freely associated state) | 68 | ||
| Palau Palau Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a... |
PW | (Freely associated state) | 70 | ||
| Armed Forces Americas (except Canada) |
AA | (US Military mail Military mail A primary feature of military mail systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic... ) |
|||
| Armed Forces - Europe - Canada - Middle East - Africa |
AE | (US Military mail Military mail A primary feature of military mail systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic... ) |
|||
| Armed Forces Pacific |
AP | (US Military mail Military mail A primary feature of military mail systems is that normally they are subsidized to ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home country does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic mail traffic... ) |
|||
| Canal Zone Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of... |
CZ | C.Z. | (Obsolete code) | ||
| Philippine Islands Commonwealth of the Philippines The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L... |
PI | (Obsolete code) | |||
| Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1986.-History:... |
TT | (Obsolete code) | |||
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands | CM | (Obsolete code) Changed to MP in 1988 to match ISO 3166-1 ISO 3166-1 ISO 3166-1 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. The official name of the standard is Codes for the representation of names... and FIPS Alpha Code. |
Current use of traditional abbreviations
The Associated Press StylebookAP Stylebook
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States...
, the usage guide for most United States newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name (for example, "Santa Ana, Calif."). AP suggests spelling out "Alaska", "Hawaii", and all state names with five or fewer letters; and, unlike the old GPO recommendations, AP suggests spelling out the names of all non-state territories, with the exception of the District of Columbia (D.C.). Legal citation
Legal citation
Legal citation is the practice of crediting and referring to authoritative documents and sources. The most common sources of authority cited are court decisions , statutes, regulations, government documents, treaties, and scholarly writing....
manuals, such as The Bluebook
Bluebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, a style guide, prescribes the most widely used legal citation system in the United States. The Bluebook is compiled by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal....
and The ALWD Citation Manual
ALWD Citation Manual
The ALWD Citation Manual is a legal citation system for the United States compiled by the Association of Legal Writing Directors. Its first edition was published in 2000. Currently, it is in its fourth edition ....
, typically use these "traditional abbreviations" as well.
Postal abbreviations
Image:US state abbrev map.png|center
poly 62 5 102 15 96 47 81 44 69 44 61 42 54 42 52 35 46 32 46 9 Washington
poly 45 32 24 70 29 75 35 77 63 85 87 90 92 67 91 65 91 60 94 60 99 51 97 47 84 44 69 44 61 43 54 42 52 36 Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
poly 27 75 15 102 30 162 43 191 86 195 86 187 91 182 93 177 54 116 62 85 California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
poly 4 227 75 227 76 279 3 278 Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
poly 78 227 151 227 196 295 197 323 4 324 4 281 77 282 Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
poly 111 17 103 16 96 47 99 52 94 61 91 65 86 90 133 99 138 71 136 68 133 69 123 70 118 55 114 55 118 44 116 44 110 35 107 25 Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
circle 403 30 10 Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
circle 428 30 11 New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
circle 484 72 11 Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
circle 484 94 9 Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
circle 484 117 10 Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
circle 485 137 10 New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
circle 485 159 10 Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
circle 485 182 11 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
poly 245 31 198 30 194 63 250 65 250 59 North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
poly 252 103 252 72 248 68 251 65 194 62 191 95 236 98 239 101 241 99 246 99 South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
poly 64 86 110 95 97 160 93 158 91 169 55 116 Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
poly 110 95 133 99 132 109 148 111 142 157 100 149 Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
poly 142 155 99 149 98 156 95 159 91 158 93 175 86 194 84 197 115 215 134 218 Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
poly 193 73 138 67 132 109 190 116 Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
poly 205 118 148 112 143 155 203 162 Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
poly 144 156 135 217 142 217 144 213 158 214 159 212 191 216 196 163 New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
poly 251 103 247 99 239 99 235 97 191 96 189 116 205 118 204 129 261 130 257 124 Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
poly 262 130 206 130 203 162 266 163 267 139 263 136 266 133 Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
poly 195 162 195 167 220 167 220 189 231 195 236 195 240 198 251 198 263 198 270 201 268 176 268 164 Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
poly 243 284 225 279 220 264 209 246 204 241 196 240 191 242 187 249 178 245 175 242 170 228 158 215 158 213 190 217 195 168 219 169 219 189 228 193 236 196 243 196 262 197 269 200 273 201 275 218 279 230 277 244 Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
poly 302 40 291 39 288 40 279 36 267 35 262 33 246 32 251 63 248 69 253 74 252 91 294 91 291 85 280 78 280 70 279 67 282 62 283 54 Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
poly 293 92 251 92 251 101 258 123 291 123 292 125 297 120 296 113 301 112 303 106 298 100 295 100 Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
poly 311 172 313 165 314 166 315 160 313 160 310 153 303 148 305 141 300 140 300 136 293 129 293 123 258 124 262 131 265 132 262 136 266 140 268 169 305 168 306 172 Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
poly 308 183 312 173 306 173 308 167 268 170 269 201 273 201 273 207 300 206 300 202 299 198 311 173 Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
poly 314 233 319 238 327 248 320 252 277 244 278 228 275 220 272 207 300 207 303 216 298 228 313 228 Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
poly 356 104 363 90 352 65 345 53 316 45 299 56 302 60 316 63 320 70 322 71 326 67 331 105 Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
poly 299 56 294 57 294 54 284 57 283 64 279 69 281 77 293 87 296 99 301 102 320 100 325 69 321 71 318 66 318 64 301 59 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
poly 325 109 326 137 328 141 324 151 323 157 320 156 321 160 315 159 314 161 311 161 312 153 303 148 305 141 299 139 299 135 292 127 296 118 296 115 301 111 302 106 300 102 298 100 321 100 Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
poly 346 104 331 107 323 109 327 138 324 151 336 151 338 146 341 149 345 140 350 138 Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
poly 380 97 371 105 364 107 360 105 346 106 350 134 354 135 358 138 367 137 371 140 373 134 375 134 376 130 382 125 382 111 Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
poly 383 112 382 125 376 129 375 133 373 133 372 137 370 140 370 143 378 151 381 151 381 150 384 150 390 147 392 141 394 135 398 135 400 130 403 126 403 123 405 123 406 124 408 124 408 122 406 120 403 121 395 126 393 121 393 121 389 123 385 123 West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
poly 370 143 370 140 366 137 363 138 358 138 355 136 350 134 350 137 345 140 341 148 338 146 336 150 324 151 323 156 320 156 320 159 316 159 315 165 313 167 321 167 325 165 333 164 343 163 351 162 362 162 365 160 370 156 373 153 376 150 Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
poly 381 158 372 159 372 160 364 160 364 161 356 162 326 165 325 166 313 167 312 174 308 184 324 183 326 182 360 179 360 176 373 167 381 161 Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
poly 326 183 322 183 315 184 306 184 300 196 300 207 302 214 298 224 297 228 310 228 311 227 314 227 315 233 317 236 328 235 327 226 326 219 Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
poly 349 181 326 182 326 219 328 234 332 238 340 234 335 225 359 224 358 217 357 207 348 181 326 182 Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
poly 369 178 363 179 360 179 355 179 354 180 348 180 357 207 359 223 361 226 384 225 386 227 388 227 387 222 393 222 395 206 388 197 374 184 369 182 Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
poly 395 222 387 222 387 226 385 227 385 225 367 226 360 226 358 223 354 224 347 225 335 226 340 234 360 241 380 244 385 267 400 281 392 292 400 293 423 281 412 248 Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
poly 413 184 402 175 397 175 397 176 392 176 389 173 380 173 369 178 369 182 374 184 388 198 393 206 397 206 414 190 South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
poly 411 154 404 155 387 158 381 158 380 161 372 167 362 174 359 177 359 179 364 179 369 178 378 174 385 173 389 173 392 176 397 176 397 175 402 175 413 183 416 186 440 164 434 151 429 150 420 152 North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
poly 420 134 416 133 414 132 414 129 415 129 415 126 412 125 410 124 408 123 408 124 405 124 404 123 403 124 403 126 399 131 398 134 394 135 390 147 384 150 381 150 380 151 378 151 376 149 370 154 370 156 364 160 370 160 374 159 380 158 388 158 411 154 429 150 432 148 436 133 433 131 428 134 Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
poly 423 115 416 116 415 117 411 118 406 120 410 124 413 125 414 123 416 124 415 126 414 132 419 134 422 134 428 134 436 129 428 129 425 122 423 116 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
poly 405 120 393 121 394 125 395 126 Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
poly 413 123 413 126 416 126 416 124 414 123 District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
poly 426 114 423 115 427 128 436 129 428 120 Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
poly 452 95 441 104 436 102 435 98 427 96 422 90 387 97 385 95 391 90 392 87 389 83 394 80 402 80 404 79 410 76 409 68 412 65 416 59 418 57 429 54 431 61 433 69 436 78 436 90 437 97 439 98 448 94 New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
poly 424 114 421 116 416 116 407 119 401 120 394 121 391 122 386 122 385 116 382 99 386 95 388 97 422 90 427 96 426 105 430 109 428 112 427 114 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
poly 427 96 426 104 430 108 430 110 426 114 427 118 428 120 432 124 441 117 441 105 436 102 435 98 New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
poly 452 91 451 88 450 86 450 83 448 83 446 84 442 85 437 85 437 89 438 94 437 96 439 98 441 96 445 94 Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
poly 452 90 455 91 454 86 453 82 450 83 451 88 Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
poly 458 72 452 73 452 74 447 76 441 77 436 79 436 86 436 89 438 85 444 88 448 83 450 83 452 82 457 90 468 84 467 78 Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
poly 455 69 455 73 452 73 452 74 447 75 448 76 441 76 435 62 442 64 442 62 441 61 441 59 443 59 443 51 443 47 446 47 452 66 456 69 New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
poly 443 51 439 51 436 52 429 54 431 65 434 72 436 79 447 72 441 65 442 64 442 61 441 60 441 59 443 59 443 57 444 56 444 54 Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
poly 455 68 458 68 479 46 477 39 465 19 452 19 448 32 447 42 446 47 450 61 Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
desc bottom-left
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
has established a set of uppercase abbreviations to help process mail with optical character recognition
Optical character recognition
Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
and other automated equipment. There are also official USPS abbreviations for other parts of the address, such as street designators (street, avenue, road, etc.).
These postal abbreviations are distinguished from traditional abbreviations such as Calif., Fla., or Tex. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Stylebook
AP Stylebook
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, usually called the AP Stylebook, is a style and usage guide used by newspapers and in the news industry in the United States...
states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. However, the Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style
The Chicago Manual of Style is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. Its 16 editions have prescribed writing and citation styles widely used in publishing...
now recommends use of the uppercase two-letter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option.
The postal abbreviation is the same as ISO 3166-2
ISO 3166-2
ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1...
subdivision code for all fifty states.
These codes do not overlap with the thirteen Canadian subnational postal abbreviations
Canadian subnational postal abbreviations
Canadian provincial and territorial postal abbreviations are used by Canada Post, currently in code system of two capital letters, to represent the 13 provinces and territories on addressed mail. These abbreviations allow automated sorting...
. The code for Nebraska changed from NB to NE in November 1969 to avoid a conflict with New Brunswick.
Other abbreviations and codes
The Federal Information Processing StandardFederal Information Processing Standard
A Federal Information Processing Standard is a publicly announced standardization developed by the United States federal government for use in computer systems by all non-military government agencies and by government contractors, when properly invoked and tailored on a contract...
establishes numeric and alphabetic state codes for each state and for many outlying areas. The FIPS numeric code is marked 'FIPS' on the table above. The FIPS alphabetic state code is the same as the USPS code except for U.S. Minor Outlying Islands which have a FIPS code (UM) but no USPS code, and the U.S. Military Mail locations which have USPS codes (AA, AE, AP) but no FIPS code.
The U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
uses a set of 2-letter prefixes for vessel numbers, marked (USCG) on the large table above. The other 39 states and the District of Columbia have the same USPS and USCG abbreviations. USCG prefixes have also been established for five outlying territories, all of which are listed above, though they differ from the USPS code only in the case of the Mariana Islands. The small table below shows the 11 states that are different plus the Mariana Islands.
| USPS | CA | CO | DE | HI | KS | MI | MS | MA | NE | WA | WI | MP |
| USCG | CF | CL | DL | HA | KA | MC | MI | MS | NB | WN | WS | CM |
See also
- Canadian abbreviation systemCanadian subnational postal abbreviationsCanadian provincial and territorial postal abbreviations are used by Canada Post, currently in code system of two capital letters, to represent the 13 provinces and territories on addressed mail. These abbreviations allow automated sorting...
- Australian abbreviation system