#howmanystates

Explore the states of the USA, their capitals, and their facts in our comprehensive guide. How Many States is in USA - your go-to resource!

the USA has 50 states. not 52. here's where the confusion comes from and the facts that actually matter:

the '52 states' myth: people confuse the 50 states with US territories. Washington DC and Puerto Rico are NOT states. they're territories. the US has had exactly 50 states since Hawaii was admitted on August 21, 1959. before that, Alaska joined in 1959 as the 49th state.

the USA has MORE states than Europe has countries. europe has 44 countries. the US has 50 states.

Largest state by area: Alaska — 665,384 square miles. so large it would be the 18th largest country in the world on its own.

Smallest state: Rhode Island — 1,545 square miles. you could fit 430 Rhode Islands inside Alaska.

Most unusual capital: Juneau, Alaska — the only US state capital not connected to the rest of the state by road. you can only reach it by boat or plane.

Biggest bat colony: Austin, Texas. millions of Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge. the world's largest known bat colony.

Largest protected area in the contiguous US: Adirondack Park, New York. larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined.

here are all 50 state capitals:

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