States in Order of Admission to the United States of America

When did each state become a member of the United States? These states are listed in the sequence in which they ratified the Constitution of 1787 and were admitted to the United States of America.

For each state, a satellite image (Landsat 7) and certain geography facts are displayed. The date of statehood, capital, total area, percentage of land covered by water, highest point of height, and mean elevation are all provided for each state.

1. Delaware

1787: December 7 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Delaware is known as the First State because it was the first state to ratify, or sign, the United States Constitution.

Capital	Dover
Area	1,982 mi2 (5,130 km2) 49th rank
Mean Elevation	60 ft  (20 m) Lowest in US
Highest Elevation	Near the Ebright Azimuth: 447.85 ft (136.50 m)
% of State Area that is water	21.5

2. Pennsylvania

1787: December 12 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

The term “Keystone State” comes from the fact that Pennsylvania serves as a geographic link between the Northeastern and Southern United States, as well as the Atlantic and Midwest coasts.

Capital	Harrisburg
Area	46,055 mi2 (119,283 km2) 33rd rank
Mean Elevation	1,100 ft  (340 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Davis: 3,213 ft  (979 m)
% of State Area That is Water	2.7

3. New Jersey

1787: December 18 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Large portions of New Jersey’s northwestern and southern regions are very rural. The fertile, loamy soil of the state’s Inner Coastal Plain area makes the terrain suitable for agriculture, earning New Jersey the nickname “Garden State.

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Capital	Trenton
Area	8,722.58  mi2 (22,591.38 km2) 47th rank
Mean Elevation	250 ft  (80 m)
Highest Elevation	High Point: 1,803 ft  (549.6 m)
% of State Area That is Water	15.7

4. Georgia

1788: January 2 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Georgia was the last and southernmost of the original Thirteen Colonies to be established. Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788.

Capital	Atlanta
Area	59,425  mi2 (153,909 km2) 24th rank
Mean Elevation	600 ft  (180 m)
Highest Elevation	Brasstown Bald: 4,784 ft  (1,458 m)
% of State Area that is Water	2.6

5. Connecticut

1788: January 9 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Connecticut is the southernmost state in the United States’ New England area. State nicknames for Connecticut include “Constitution State”, the “Nutmeg State”, the “Provisions State”, and the “Land of Steady Habits”.

Capital	Hartford
Area	5,567  mi2  (14,357 km2) 48th rank
Mean Elevation	500 ft  (150 m)
Highest Elevation	MA border on south slope of Mount Frissell: 2,379 ft (725 m)
% of State Area that is Water	12.6

6. Massachusetts

1788: February 6 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Nicknames for Massachusetts are: The Bay State (official), The Pilgrim State; The Puritan State, The Old Colony State, and The Baked Bean State.

Capital	Boston
Area	10,565  mi2 (27,337 km2) 44th rank
Mean Elevation	500 ft   (150 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Greylock: 3,489 ft (1,063.4 m)
% of State Area That is Water	25.7

7. Maryland

1788: April 28 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Some of Maryland’s nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. Maryland is the only U.S. state with no natural lakes.

Capital	Annapolis
Area	12,407 mi2 (32,133 km2) 42nd rank
Mean Elevation	350 ft  (110 m)
Highest Elevation	Hoye-Crest: 3,360 ft (1,024 m)
% of State Area That is Water	21

8. South Carolina

1788: May 23 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

The natural environment of South Carolina is separated into three natural geographic areas: the Atlantic coastal plain, the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which run east to west.

Capital	Columbia
Area	32,020 mi2 (82,931 km2)40th rank
Mean Elevation	350 ft  (110 m)
Highest Elevation	Sassafras Mountain: 3,560 ft (1,085 m)
% of State Area That is Water	6

9. New Hampshire

1788: June 21 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

The nickname, “The Granite State” comes from the New Hampshire’s large granite rocks and quarries. With a general coastline length of 18.57 miles (29 km), New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. coastal state.

Capital	Concord
Area	9,349 mi2 (24,214 km2) 46th rank
Mean Elevation	1,000 ft  (300 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Washingon: 6,288 ft (1,916.66 m)
% of State Area That is Water	4.2

10. Virginia

1788: June 25 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

The Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, and the Appalachian Plateau are the five geographical regions that make up Virginia.

Capital	Richmond
Area	42,774.2 mi2 (110,785.67 km2)35th rank
Mean Elevation	950 ft  (290 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Rogers5,729 ft (1,746 m)
% of state Area  that is water	7.4

11. New York

1788: July 26 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

New York State is home to Adirondack Park which is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. New York City is the most populous city in the United States with over 8.3 million residents.

Capital	Albany
Area	54,555 mi2 (141,300 km2) 27th rank
Mean Elevation	950 ft  (290 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Marcy: 5,344 ft (1,629 m)
% of State Area That is Water	13.5

12. North Carolina

1789: November 21 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Since records began in 1526, more than a thousand ships have sunk in the waters around Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, earning it the moniker “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Capital	Raleigh
Area	53,819 mi2 (139,390 km2) 28th rank
Mean Elevation	700 ft  (210 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Mitchell: 6,684 ft (2,037 m)
% of State Area That is Water	9.5

More: Geography of North Carolina

13. Rhode Island

1790: May 29 (Ratification date – one of the original U.S. colonies)

Rhode Island is the smallest U.S. state by area. The “Ocean State” is Rhode Island’s official nickname, referring to the extensive bays and inlets that make up around 14% of the state’s total territory.

Capital	Providence
Area	1,214 mi2 (3,144 km2) 50th rank
Mean Elevation	200 ft  (60 m)
Highest Elevation	Jerimoth Hill: 812 ft (247 m)
% of State Area That is Water	13.9

More: Geography Facts: Rhode Island

14. Vermont

1791: March 4 (Vermont is the first state not part of the original 13 U.S. colonies to become part of the United States).

After the 13 colonies were ratified, Vermont became the 14th state admitted to the newly formed United States of America. Not counting steeple heights, Vermont is the only U.S. state without a building taller than 124 feet.

Capital	Montpelier
Area	9,616 mi2 (24,923 km2) 45th rank
Mean Elevation	1,000 ft  (300 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Mansfield: 4,395 ft (1,340 m)
% of State Area That is Water	4.1

15. Kentucky

1792: June 1

Kentucky is known as the “Bluegrass State” because of the Kentucky bluegrass grass that grows in many of the state’s pastures. Mammoth Cave National Park, the world’s longest cave system, is located in Kentucky.

Capital	Frankfort
Area	40,409 mi2 (104,659 km2) 37th rank
Mean Elevation	750 ft  (230 m)
Highest Elevation	Black Mountain: 4,145 ft (1,263 m)
% of State Area That is Water	1.7

16. Tennessee

1796: June 1

The Blue Ridge Mountains, which run along Tennessee’s eastern border, reach some of the highest peaks in eastern North America. Eastern Tennessee is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the country’s most visited national park.

Capital	Nashville
Area	42,143 mi2 (109,247 km2)36th rank
Mean Elevation	900 ft  (270 m)
Highest Elevation	Clingmans Dome6,643 ft (2,025 m)
% of state Area  that is water	2.2

17. Ohio

1803: March 1

The state flag of Ohio is the only non-rectangular flag in the United States. Ohio is named after the Ohio River, whose name comes from the Seneca word ohiyo’, which means “good river,” “big river,” or “huge stream.”

Capital	Columbus
Area	44,825 mi2 (116,096 km2)34th rank
Mean Elevation	850 ft  (260 m)
Highest Elevation	Campbell Hill1,549 ft (472 m)
% of state Area  that is water	8.7

18. Louisiana

1812: April 30

Louisiana’s southern coast is one of the world’s fastest-disappearing regions. Climate change, oil and gas drilling and dredging, and Mississippi River levees are causing the state to lose a football field of land every 48 minutes, or 16 square miles each year.

Capital	Baton Rouge
Area	52,378.13 mi2 (135,382 km2) 31st rank
Mean Elevation	100 ft  (30 m)
Highest Elevation	Driskill Mountain: 535 ft (163 m)
% of State Area That is Water	15

19. Indiana

1816: December 11

With the highest point at 1,257 feet (383 m) and the lowest point at 320 feet (98 m), Indiana has the narrowest elevation span, 937 feet (286 m) of any non-coastal US state.

Capital	Indianapolis
Area	36,418 mi2 (94,321 km2) 38th rank
Mean Elevation	700 ft  (210 m)
Highest Elevation	Hoosier Hill: 1,257 ft (383 m)
% of state Area  that is water	1.5

20. Mississippi

1817: December 10

Mississippi lies almost entirely inside the Gulf coastal plain, with lowland plains and low hills dominating the landscape.

Capital	Jackson
Area	48,430 mi2 (125,443 km2) 32nd rank
Mean Elevation	300 ft  (90 m)
Highest Elevation	Woodall Mountain 807 ft (246.0 m)
% of State Area That is Water	3.0

21. Illinois

1818: December 3

Except for a few spots where the river has changed course, the Mississippi River runs nearly the entire western boundary of Illinois.

Capital	Springfield
Area	57,953 mi2 (149,967 km2) 25th rank
Mean Elevation	600 ft  (180 m)
Highest Elevation	Charles Mound: 1,235 ft (376.4 m)
% of State Area That is Water	3.99

22. Alabama

1819: December 14

Alabama has the most inland waterways of any state, with a total of 1,500 miles (2,400 km).

Capital	Montgomery
Area	52,419 mi2 (135,765 km2) 30th rank
Mean Elevation	500 ft  (150 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Cheaha: 2,413 ft (735.5 m)
% of State Area That is Water	3.20

More: A to Z Geography: Alabama

23. Maine

1820: March 15

Maine is the contiguous United States’ northeasternmost state. Main is also the only state with a single syllable name, and the only state that only borders one other state.

Capital	Augusta
Area	35,385 mi2 (91,646 km2) 39th rank
Mean Elevation	600 ft  (180 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Katahdin: 5,270 ft (1,606.4 m)
% of State Area That is Water	13.5

24. Missouri

1821: August 10

Missouri is landlocked and and is one of only two states that borders eight different states (Tennessee is the other state).

Capital	Jefferson City
Area	69,704 mi2 (180,530 km2) 21st rank
Mean Elevation	800 ft  (244 m)
Highest Elevation	Taum Sauk Mountain: 1,772 ft (540 m)
% of State Area That is Water	1.17

25. Arkansas

1836: June 15

The world’s only diamond-bearing place accessible to the public for digging is Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

Capital	Little Rock
Area	53,180 mi2 (137,733 km2)29th rank
Mean Elevation	650 ft  (200 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Magazine2,753 ft (839 m)
% of state Area  that is water	2.09

26. Michigan

1837: January 26

Michigan is the only state in the United States that is made up of two peninsulas: the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. Michigan is flanked by four of the five Great Lakes, as well as Lake St. Clair, making it the state with the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States.

Capital	Lansing
Area	96,716 mi2 (250,493 km2) 11th rank
Mean Elevation	900 ft  (270 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Arvon: 1,979 ft (603 m)
% of State Area  That is Water	41.5

27. Florida

1845: March 3

In the contiguous United States, Florida has the longest coastline. Florida’s coastline stretches 1,350 miles from one end to the other (2,170 km). Related: Interesting Geography Facts About Florida

Capital	Tallahassee
Area	65,755 mi2 (170,304 km2) 22nd rank
Mean Elevation	100 ft  (30 m)
Highest Elevation	Britton Hill: 345 ft (105 m)
% of State Area That is Water	17.9

More: Interesting Geography Facts About Florida

28. Texas

1845: December 29

Texas is the largest state in the contiguous United States and the second largest overall after Alaska. Three of Texas’ borders are defined by rivers: the Rio Grande is a natural border with parts of Mexico, the Red River forms a natural border with Oklahoma and Arkansas to the north, and the Sabine River forms a natural border with Louisiana to the east.

Capital	Austin
Area	268,581 mi2 (696,241 km2) 2nd rank
Mean Elevation	1,700 ft  (520 m)
Highest Elevation	Guadalupe Peak: 8,751 ft (2,667.4 m)
% of State Area That is Water	2.5

29. Iowa

1846: December 28

On the west Iowa is bordered by the Missouri River and the Big Sioux River and by the Mississippi River on the east, making it the only state with east and west borders formed almost entirely by rivers.

More: Geography of Iowa

Capital	Des Moines
Area	56,272.81 mi2 (145,746 km2) 26th rank
Mean Elevation	1,100 ft  (340 m)
Highest Elevation	Hawkeye Point: 1,671 ft (509 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.70

30. Wisconsin

1848: May 29

Wisconsin is known for its large and diversified landscape, which was shaped by glaciers during the last ice age 17 thousand years ago.

Capital	Madison
Area	65,498.37 mi2 (169,640 km2) 23rd rank
Mean Elevation	1,050 ft  (320 m)
Highest Elevation	Timms Hill: 1,951 ft (595 m)
% of State Area That is Water	17

More: A to Z Geography: Wisconsin

31. California

1850: September 9

Both the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the 48 contiguous states are found in California. California is the most populous and the third-largest state in terms of area in the United States.

Capital	Sacramento
Area	163,696 mi2 (423,970 km2) 3rd rank
Mean Elevation	2,900 ft  (880 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Whitney: 14,505 ft (4,421.0 m)
% of State Area That is Water	4.7

32. Minnesota

1858: May 11

The state of Minnesota about a third of its area is forested, and it is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” because it has about 11,800 bodies of fresh water that are at least ten acres in size.

Capital	Saint Paul
Area	86,936 mi2 (225,163 km2) 12th rank
Mean Elevation	1,200 ft  (370 m)
Highest Elevation	Lake Superior: 602 ft (183 m)
% of State Area That is Water	8.40

33. Oregon

1859: February 14

Oregon has volcanoes, many bodies of water, lush evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands, making it one of the most geographically diverse states in the United States.

Capital	Salem
Area	98,381 mi2 (254,806 km2) 9th rank
Mean Elevation	3,300 ft  (1,000 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Hood: 11,249 ft (3,428.8 m)
% of State Area That is Water	2.4

34. Kansas

1861: January 29

The geographic center of the 48 contiguous United States has been calculated to be near Lebanon in Smith County, Kansas.

Capital	Topeka
Area	82,278 mi2 (213,100 km2) 15th rank
Mean Elevation	2,000 ft  (610 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Sunflower: 4,041 ft (1,232 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.6

More: Geography of Kansas

35. West Virginia

1863: June 20

The nickname The Mountain State and the motto Montani Semper Liberi (“Mountaineers are always free”) come from the fact that Virginia is almost entirely mountainous. Related: West Virginia’s First National Park

Capital	Charleston
Area	24,230 mi2 (62,755 km2) 41st rank
Mean Elevation	1,513 ft  (461 m)
Highest Elevation	Spruce Knob: 4,863 ft (1,482 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.6

36. Nevada

1864: October 31

Nevada has 172 mountain peaks that rise above 2,000 feet (610 meters). Nevada is the state with the secondmost mountains in the United States, trailing only Alaska.

Capital	Carson City
Area	110,577 mi2 (286,382 km2) 7th rank
Mean Elevation	5,500 ft  (1,680 m)
Highest Elevation	Boundary Peak: 13,147 ft (4,007.1 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.72

37. Nebraska

1867: March 1

Nebraska is the only state in the United States that is triply landlocked.

Capital	Lincoln
Area	77,358 mi2 (200,365 km2) 16th rank
Mean Elevation	2,600 ft  (790 m)
Highest Elevation	Panorama Point: 5,424 ft (1,654 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.7

38. Colorado

1876: August 1

Colorado is known as the “Centennial State” because it became a state one hundred years after the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. The Four Corners Monument is located at 36°59’56″N, 109°2’43″W in Colorado’s southwest corner.

Capital	Denver
Area	104,094 mi2 (269,837 km2) 8th rank
Mean Elevation	6,800 ft  (2,070 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Elbert in Lake County: 14,440 ft (4,401.2 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.36

39. North Dakota

1889: November 2 (admitted at the same time as South Dakota)

The KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota is the Western Hemisphere’s largest man-made tower. The “Geographic Center of the North American Continent” is marked by a stone marker near Rugby, North Dakota.

Capital	Bismarck
Area	71,230 mi2 (183,640 km2) 19th rank
Mean Elevation	1,900 ft  (580 m)
Highest Elevation	White Butte: 3,508 ft (1,069 m)
% of State Area That is Water	2.4

40. South Dakota

1889: November 2 (admitted at the same time as North Dakota)

The geographic center of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, is near the town of Belle Fourche in South Dakota.

Capital	Pierre
Area	78,116 mi2 (199,729 km2) 17th rank
Mean Elevation	2,200 ft  (670 m)
Highest Elevation	Black Elk Peak: 7,244 ft (2,208 m)
% of State Area That is Water	1.7

41. Montana

1889: November 8

To the north, Montana borders the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, making it the only state to border three Canadian provinces.

More: Geography of Montana

Capital	Helena
Area	147,040 mi2 (380,800 km2)4th rank
Mean Elevation	3,400 ft  (1,040 m)
Highest Elevation	Granite Peak12,807 ft (3,903.5 m)
% of state Area  that is water	1

42. Washington

1889: November 11

At almost 14,411 feet (4,392 meters), Mount Rainier, an active stratovolcano, is Washington’s highest elevation mountain.

Capital	Olympia
Area	71,362 mi2 (184,827 km2) 18th rank
Mean Elevation	1,700 ft  (520 m)
Highest Elevation	Mount Rainier: 14,411 ft (4,392 m)
% of State Area That is Water	6.6

43. Idaho

1890: July 3

The United States Forest Service owns 38 percent of the Idaho’s acreage, the highest percentage of any state. Hells Canyon in Western Idaho is the deepest gorge in the United States.

Capital	Boise
Area	83,797 mi2 (216,900 km2) 14th rank
Mean Elevation	5,000 ft  (1,520 m)
Highest Elevation	Borah Peak: 12,662 ft (3,859 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.98

44. Wyoming

1890: July 10

Wyoming is the least populous and least densely populated state in the contiguous United States. The federal government owns almost half of the land in Wyoming.

Capital	Cheyenne
Area	97,914 mi2 (253,600 km2) 10th rank
Mean Elevation	6,700 ft  (2,040 m)
Highest Elevation	Gannett Peak: 13,809 ft (4,209.1 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.7

More: A to Z Geography: Wyoming

45. Utah

1896: January 4

Utah is one of only three states in the United States (Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) that use latitude and longitude lines as their boundaries. Utah is the only state in which national forest land is found in every county.

Capital	Salt Lake City
Area	84,899 mi2 (219,653 km±) 13th rank
Mean Elevation	6,100 ft  (1,860 m)
Highest Elevation	Kings Peak: 13,534 ft (4,120.3 m)
% of State Area That is Water	3.25

46. Oklahoma

1907: November 16

The Arbuckle Mountains, Wichita Mountains, Ozark Mountains, and Ouachita Mountains are Oklahoma’s four main mountain ranges. Oklahoma has the highest number of reservoirs in the nation.

Related: Geography of Oklahoma

47. New Mexico

1912: January 6

Santa Fe, New Mexico’s state capital is the oldest in the United States and was founded in 1610 as the then as the government seat of Nuevo México.

Capital	Santa Fe
Area	121,699 mi2 (315,198 km2) 5th rank
Mean Elevation	5,700 ft  (1,740 m)
Highest Elevation	Wheeler Peak: 13,167 ft (4,013.3 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.2

48. Arizona

1912: February 12

Arizona was the last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the United States. Grand Canyon National Park, one of the world’s seven natural wonders, is located in Arizona.

Capital	Phoenix
Area	113,990 mi2 (295,234 km2) 6th rank
Mean Elevation	4,100 ft  (1250 m)
Highest Elevation	Humphreys Peak: 12,637 ft (3,852 m)
% of State Area That is Water	0.35

49. Alaska

1959: January 3

Alaska is the largest state in the United States and is home to the top ten highest mountains in the country. Sitka, Alaska is the largest city in the U.S. by area.

Capital	Juneau
Area	663,268 mi2 (1,717,856 km2) 1st rank
Mean Elevation	1900 ft  (580 m)
Highest Elevation	Denali: 20,310 ft (6,190.5 m)
% of State Area  That is Water	13.77

More: Geography of Alaska

50. Hawaii

1959: August 21

Hawaii is the only state in the tropics, the only state outside of North America, and the only state made up completely of islands.

Capital	Honolulu
Area	10,931 mi2 (28,311 km2) 43rd rank
Mean Elevation	3,030 ft  (920 m)
Highest Elevation	Mauna Kea: 13,796 ft (4,205.0 m)
% of State Area That is Water	41.2

Watch this as a video on YouTube: States in order of admission to the United States

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