There are 50 states in the United States of America.
This has been the case since 1959, when Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th) were admitted to the Union. No new states have been added since then, and as of March 2026, the number remains firmly at 50.
Quick Clarifications on Common Confusions
The District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) is the federal capital district—not a state.
Territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are U.S. territories with residents who are U.S. citizens or nationals, but they are not states (they don’t have full voting representation in Congress or the same constitutional status).
Sometimes people mistakenly say “52” because they count D.C. and/or Puerto Rico as states, but that’s incorrect.
The 50 States (Alphabetical Order)
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
The United States remains a federal republic of exactly 50 states, plus D.C. and various territories. If you’re thinking of something else (like commonwealths—note that Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are officially “Commonwealths” but still count as states), the total is still 50! 🇺🇸