Who Settled First? The First Foreign Presence in Every U.S. State

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Have you ever looked at a map of the United States and wondered who got there first—before it was “the United States”? The answer goes beyond the Spanish in the Southwest or the British on the East Coast. A diverse range of international players—some predicted, some unexpected—arrived, established themselves, and made their marks in ways that are still evident today.

A Continent of Empires

Let’s start with a big-picture overview. The United States as we know it today wasn’t shaped solely by British colonization. In fact, when European powers arrived in the 1500s and 1600s, they each had different motives: gold, trade routes, religious freedom, or strategic outposts. Some countries established long-lasting colonies, while others barely managed to hold on.

Here’s a breakdown of which country got to which state first—based on documented settlements, not just exploration.

The French Heartland

If you thought the French influence was mostly in Louisiana, think again. France was the first to settle in a huge stretch of the Midwest and even parts of the South and Northeast.

First settled by France:
North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Maine, Vermont.
These areas were part of New France, a vast territory stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. In fact, Detroit and St. Louis were originally French settlements.

Spain’s Early Footprint

Spain’s North American presence wasn’t limited to Mexico and the Caribbean. Spanish missions and forts were the first non-Native settlements in:

First settled by Spain:
California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas (shared with France), South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee.
Notably, St. Augustine, Florida (founded in 1565), is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in what is now the U.S.

Even in Tennessee, Spanish explorers were pushing into the interior Southeast by the mid-1500s, led by Hernando de Soto.

British Beginnings

The British colonies are, of course, the best known, especially in the northeast and along the Atlantic coast.

First settled by Great Britain:
Washington, Oregon, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia.
Jamestown, Virginia (1607), was the first successful English colony, but England’s reach eventually extended all the way to the Pacific Northwest thanks to later exploration and fur trading posts.

The Dutch and the Swedish: Surprising Contenders

Yes, the Dutch! And even the Swedes made their way across the Atlantic and into American history.

First settled by The Netherlands:
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware.
These were part of New Netherland, and New York was originally called New Amsterdam until the British took over in 1664.

First settled by Sweden:
Pennsylvania.
Swedish settlers established New Sweden in 1638, near modern-day Wilmington, Delaware. Their influence faded quickly, but traces remain in local architecture and place names.

Russia in Alaska

Russia’s arrival in Alaska is a fascinating chapter. Russian fur traders established outposts in the 18th century, including Sitka—the capital of Russian America—before selling the territory to the U.S. in 1867.

And What About the United States?

In some western states, particularly those that became part of the country in the 19th century, the first permanent settlement wasn’t by a foreign power—it was by the U.S. itself.

First settled by the United States:
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma.
Many of these regions were acquired through treaties, purchases, or wars, and settlers often followed railroads and land grants.

Got something to add? Maybe your local town has a French name or an old Spanish fort still standing. Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear which piece of history lives near you.