Quick answers for common border questions
Use these as warmups before the full table. Say the neighboring states from memory, then check the answer.
What states border Arizona?
Arizona borders California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
Open ArizonaWhat states border Iowa?
Iowa borders Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
Open IowaWhat states border Rhode Island?
Rhode Island borders Connecticut, Massachusetts.
Open Rhode IslandWhat states border Missouri?
Missouri borders Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee.
Open MissouriWhat states border Tennessee?
Tennessee borders Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia.
Open TennesseeWhat states border Maine?
Maine borders New Hampshire.
Open MaineAll U.S. states and their land-bordering neighbors
This table is for checking, not cramming. If a row looks hard, open that state page and connect the border list to the map, capital, abbreviation, and region. Missouri and Tennessee are good hard-mode rows because each has eight bordering states.
| State | Bordering states | Count | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee | 4 | Open state |
| Alaska | No land-bordering U.S. states | 0 | Open state |
| Arizona | California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah | 4 | Open state |
| Arkansas | Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas | 6 | Open state |
| California | Arizona, Nevada, Oregon | 3 | Open state |
| Colorado | Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming | 6 | Open state |
| Connecticut | Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island | 3 | Open state |
| Delaware | Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania | 3 | Open state |
| Florida | Alabama, Georgia | 2 | Open state |
| Georgia | Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee | 5 | Open state |
| Hawaii | No land-bordering U.S. states | 0 | Open state |
| Idaho | Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming | 6 | Open state |
| Illinois | Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin | 5 | Open state |
| Indiana | Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio | 4 | Open state |
| Iowa | Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin | 6 | Open state |
| Kansas | Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma | 4 | Open state |
| Kentucky | Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia | 7 | Open state |
| Louisiana | Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas | 3 | Open state |
| Maine | New Hampshire | 1 | Open state |
| Maryland | Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia | 4 | Open state |
| Massachusetts | Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont | 5 | Open state |
| Michigan | Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin | 3 | Open state |
| Minnesota | Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin | 4 | Open state |
| Mississippi | Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee | 4 | Open state |
| Missouri | Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee | 8 | Open state |
| Montana | Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming | 4 | Open state |
| Nebraska | Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Wyoming | 6 | Open state |
| Nevada | Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah | 5 | Open state |
| New Hampshire | Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont | 3 | Open state |
| New Jersey | Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania | 3 | Open state |
| New Mexico | Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas | 4 | Open state |
| New York | Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont | 5 | Open state |
| North Carolina | Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia | 4 | Open state |
| North Dakota | Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota | 3 | Open state |
| Ohio | Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia | 5 | Open state |
| Oklahoma | Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas | 6 | Open state |
| Oregon | California, Idaho, Nevada, Washington | 4 | Open state |
| Pennsylvania | Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, West Virginia | 6 | Open state |
| Rhode Island | Connecticut, Massachusetts | 2 | Open state |
| South Carolina | Georgia, North Carolina | 2 | Open state |
| South Dakota | Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming | 6 | Open state |
| Tennessee | Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia | 8 | Open state |
| Texas | Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma | 4 | Open state |
| Utah | Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming | 5 | Open state |
| Vermont | Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York | 3 | Open state |
| Virginia | Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia | 5 | Open state |
| Washington | Idaho, Oregon | 2 | Open state |
| West Virginia | Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia | 5 | Open state |
| Wisconsin | Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota | 4 | Open state |
| Wyoming | Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah | 6 | Open state |
Border patterns worth knowing
No land-border states
Alaska, Hawaii
These states are handled differently in border practice because they do not touch another U.S. state by land.
One-border states
Maine
This is a quick win. If a clue has only one neighbor, the answer space gets tiny.
Most land neighbors
Missouri (8), Tennessee (8)
These are useful for hard mode because the clue list is long and easy to confuse.
Four Corners area
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
This cluster is a good reminder that map position and border logic are not always the same thing.
A better way to study bordering states
Start with regions
Borders make more sense when Northeast, Midwest, South, and West already feel familiar.
Learn anchor states
Use big anchors like California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois before drilling smaller border sets.
Check one state at a time
Ask "what states border Arizona?" or "what states border Iowa?" and say the answer before opening the table.
Play the quiz
Use Neighboring States Quiz when you want to turn the list into actual recall.
FAQ
Which states border Arizona?
Arizona borders California, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico.
Which states border Iowa?
Iowa borders Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Which states border Rhode Island?
Rhode Island borders Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Which states border Missouri?
Missouri borders Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.
Which states border Tennessee?
Tennessee borders Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Which U.S. states have the most bordering states?
Missouri borders 8 states; Tennessee borders 8 states.
How should I learn state borders?
Learn regions first, then practice one state at a time with a map. Border clues are much easier when the surrounding region is already familiar.