Quick lookup for common state abbreviations

These are the codes people look up most often because they are easy to confuse. Use the answer, then say the state, code, and capital together once.

Missouri abbreviation

MO

Missouri abbreviation is MO. If you see MO, it means Missouri. The capital is Jefferson City.

Open state page Practice this type
Minnesota abbreviation

MN

Minnesota abbreviation is MN. If you see MN, it means Minnesota. The capital is Saint Paul.

Open state page Practice this type
Mississippi abbreviation

MS

Mississippi abbreviation is MS. If you see MS, it means Mississippi. The capital is Jackson.

Open state page Practice this type
Iowa abbreviation

IA

Iowa abbreviation is IA. If you see IA, it means Iowa. The capital is Des Moines.

Open state page Practice this type
Rhode Island abbreviation

RI

Rhode Island abbreviation is RI. If you see RI, it means Rhode Island. The capital is Providence.

Open state page Practice this type
Arizona abbreviation

AZ

Arizona abbreviation is AZ. If you see AZ, it means Arizona. The capital is Phoenix.

Open state page Practice this type

All 50 U.S. state abbreviations

Use this table as a checkup after a quiz round. If you miss a code twice, open the state page and connect the abbreviation to the state, capital, region, and map shape.

State Abbreviation Capital Region Review
Alabama AL Montgomery South Open state
Alaska AK Juneau West Open state
Arizona AZ Phoenix West Open state
Arkansas AR Little Rock South Open state
California CA Sacramento West Open state
Colorado CO Denver West Open state
Connecticut CT Hartford Northeast Open state
Delaware DE Dover South Open state
Florida FL Tallahassee South Open state
Georgia GA Atlanta South Open state
Hawaii HI Honolulu West Open state
Idaho ID Boise West Open state
Illinois IL Springfield Midwest Open state
Indiana IN Indianapolis Midwest Open state
Iowa IA Des Moines Midwest Open state
Kansas KS Topeka Midwest Open state
Kentucky KY Frankfort South Open state
Louisiana LA Baton Rouge South Open state
Maine ME Augusta Northeast Open state
Maryland MD Annapolis South Open state
Massachusetts MA Boston Northeast Open state
Michigan MI Lansing Midwest Open state
Minnesota MN Saint Paul Midwest Open state
Mississippi MS Jackson South Open state
Missouri MO Jefferson City Midwest Open state
Montana MT Helena West Open state
Nebraska NE Lincoln Midwest Open state
Nevada NV Carson City West Open state
New Hampshire NH Concord Northeast Open state
New Jersey NJ Trenton Northeast Open state
New Mexico NM Santa Fe West Open state
New York NY Albany Northeast Open state
North Carolina NC Raleigh South Open state
North Dakota ND Bismarck Midwest Open state
Ohio OH Columbus Midwest Open state
Oklahoma OK Oklahoma City South Open state
Oregon OR Salem West Open state
Pennsylvania PA Harrisburg Northeast Open state
Rhode Island RI Providence Northeast Open state
South Carolina SC Columbia South Open state
South Dakota SD Pierre Midwest Open state
Tennessee TN Nashville South Open state
Texas TX Austin South Open state
Utah UT Salt Lake City West Open state
Vermont VT Montpelier Northeast Open state
Virginia VA Richmond South Open state
Washington WA Olympia West Open state
West Virginia WV Charleston South Open state
Wisconsin WI Madison Midwest Open state
Wyoming WY Cheyenne West Open state

What state is this code?

A lot of abbreviation practice is reverse lookup. That means seeing the code first and naming the state. This is where MO, MS, MN, and MT need extra care.

What state is MO?

MO is Missouri. The capital is Jefferson City, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Missouri

What state is MN?

MN is Minnesota. The capital is Saint Paul, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Minnesota

What state is MS?

MS is Mississippi. The capital is Jackson, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Mississippi

What state is IA?

IA is Iowa. The capital is Des Moines, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Iowa

What state is RI?

RI is Rhode Island. The capital is Providence, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Rhode Island

What state is AZ?

AZ is Arizona. The capital is Phoenix, which gives you one more memory hook than the code alone.

Open Arizona

The groups that cause most mistakes

A states

AL, AK, AZ, AR

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas all start with A, so the second letter carries the memory.

M states

MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT

This is the group most people should drill first. There are eight M states, and several are easy to swap.

New states

NH, NJ, NM, NY

The second word decides the code: Hampshire, Jersey, Mexico, and York.

North and South pairs

NC, ND, SC, SD

Say the full pair out loud. North Carolina and North Dakota should not live in separate memory boxes.

The M-state code group

If you only drill one confusing family, drill this one. Missouri, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Montana are close enough that guessing from the first letter does not work.

State Code Capital Memory hook
Massachusetts MA Boston Say Massachusetts, MA, Boston together.
Maryland MD Annapolis Say Maryland, MD, Annapolis together.
Maine ME Augusta Say Maine, ME, Augusta together.
Michigan MI Lansing Say Michigan, MI, Lansing together.
Minnesota MN Saint Paul Say Minnesota, MN, Saint Paul together.
Missouri MO Jefferson City Say Missouri, MO, Jefferson City together.
Mississippi MS Jackson Say Mississippi, MS, Jackson together.
Montana MT Helena Say Montana, MT, Helena together.

A short practice plan

Step Focus What to do
Pass 1 Obvious codes Clear the easy ones first: CA, TX, FL, NY, OH, GA, and PA.
Pass 2 Confusing families Spend most of your energy on A states, M states, New states, and north/south pairs.
Pass 3 Reverse recall Look at the code and say the state. This is harder than state-to-code and more useful for reading forms.
Pass 4 Mixed practice Switch directions so you cannot rely on one pattern.

Turn the list into a state abbreviations test

A list helps you review, but a test shows what stuck. Use these formats in order, then jump into the interactive quiz when you want faster feedback.

State to code

Example: Arizona -> AZ. This is the easiest version and a good first pass.

Code to state

Example: IA -> Iowa. This is better for reading forms, addresses, and quiz prompts.

Mixed test

Switch directions every question so you know the abbreviation both ways.

Misses only

After one full round, make a mini-test from only the codes you missed.

FAQ

How many U.S. state abbreviations are there?

There are 50 two-letter postal abbreviations, one for each U.S. state.

What is the Missouri abbreviation?

Missouri abbreviation is MO. If you see MO in a state code, it means Missouri.

What state is MO?

MO is Missouri. Do not confuse it with MS for Mississippi or MN for Minnesota.

What is the Minnesota abbreviation?

Minnesota abbreviation is MN. The capital is Saint Paul.

What is the Mississippi abbreviation?

Mississippi abbreviation is MS. The capital is Jackson.

What is the Iowa abbreviation?

Iowa abbreviation is IA. The capital is Des Moines.

What is the Rhode Island abbreviation?

Rhode Island abbreviation is RI. The capital is Providence.

What state is AZ?

AZ is Arizona. It is one of the A-state codes that people often mix up with AL, AK, and AR.

What is the best way to learn state abbreviations?

Group the confusing codes together, then practice both directions: state to code and code to state.

Are state abbreviations the same as postal codes?

In this guide, state abbreviations means the two-letter USPS postal abbreviations, such as CA, NY, TX, and AZ.