Amazing Geography Facts About the U.S. States

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Almost every American state has something that makes it unique. The United States is a vast and diverse country, with each state offering its own distinct geography, history, and culture. From the rolling hills of the Midwest to the majestic mountains of the West, and the sunny beaches of the South to the bustling urban centers of the East, there is something fascinating in every corner of the nation. Below are maps of the U.S. states that highlight their uniqueness, revealing intriguing facts and lesser-known features that make each state stand out.

Alaska

Alaska is the biggest U.S. state by area and the seventh-biggest subnational division globally. The size of Alaska is equivalent to the entire U.S. Eastern Seabord, spanning north to south from Maine to Florida and west to Tennessee.

Despite its large size, Alaska is sparsely populated. About half of Alaska’s inhabitants reside within the Anchorage metropolitan area. On the map below, green and blue and green areas have the same population.

California

If California were an independent country, it would rank as the world’s 5th-biggest economy behind Germany, Japan, China, and the U.K. The map below shows six U.S. areas with roughly the same GDP as California.

Colorado

Is Colorado a perfect rectangle? Almost yes, but not quite. The map of Colorado’s border deviations is below.

Colorado is not really rectangular, and it is, in reality, a 697-sider.

The borders of Colorado were fixed in 1850. Colorado’s borders were initially defined as lines of latitude and longitude, making its shape a latitude-longitude quadrangle that stretches from 37° N to 41° N latitude and 102.05° W to 109. 05° W longitude. On the northern side, the border is shorter than the southern one because circles of latitude get shorter as they get farther from the equator and closer to the poles. Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah are the only U.S. states with boundaries defined solely by latitude and longitude lines.

Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any U.S. state and the highest low point. As a result, Colorado could also be recognized as a candidate for “highest U.S. state”. Colorado’s lowest point is higher than 19 entire states, including Washington DC.

Iowa

Iowa is the only U.S. state whose eastern and western borders are entirely rivers.

Mississippi

Mississippi is the poorest state, but there are not many countries in the world whose GDP exceeds that of Mississippi. The map below shows in blue the countries whose GDP is higher than Mississippi’s.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the 5th smallest U.S.state by area and the 10th least populated, with over 1.3 million citizens. The map below shows U.S. counties larger than New Hampshire.

New York

New York State is home to the most populous city in the United States. With almost 24 million in its combined statistical area, New York City is one of the world’s densest megacities. The map below shows the U.S. States with a smaller population than New York City.

Moreover, New York (50.8%) is the only state besides Hawaii (100%) where most people live on an island.

Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the most ecologically and biologically diverse places on the planet. The Big Island of Hawaii consists of 4 out of the 5 major climate zones and 8 out of 13 sub-zones of the Köppen classification system. The Hawaiian Islands are home to more than a unique 25,000 species of living organisms.

Reddit User ptgorman created a fantastic map of the climate zones of Hawaii based on the Köppen Climate Classification System and the data from Hawai‘i Magazine and Love Big Island. He gathered more than 1,000 Instagram photos using location tags and hashtags (selected for color) and placed them according to the climate zone map.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is the smallest state by area (1,214 sq mi / 3,144 sq km) and the 7th-least populous (1,1 million), although it is the 2nd-most densely populated after New Jersey (1,006/sq mi or 388 sq km). The maps below show counties bigger than Rhode Island.

Texas

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by area after Alaska. But this U.S. state has its uniqueness. Texas is divided into 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state.

Wyoming

Wyoming’s population was about 577 thousand according to the 2020 U.S. Census, making it the least populated in the United States. The map below shows all U.S. counties more populated than a state.

The map below shows Metropolitan Statistical Areas with populations greater than the State of Wyoming.

Do you know any other amazing facts about the American states? Please feel free to write about it in the comments. For more maps about the U.S. administrative and political subdivision, see:

• Geography Facts About the U.S. Counties