Technology has undoubtedly made communicating with our loved ones easier; you no longer need a big old book of forward mailing addresses like your grandma used to have. However, there are still times when you need to know the U.S. states standard state abbreviations and codes, especially if you want to get in touch with people the old-fashioned way - by letter. With that in mind, here's the complete A-Z list of the 50 U.S. states' abbreviations and letter codes, so you can be sure they will get to the right place, and a state abbreviation quiz, so you can test your knowledge!
What’s the difference between postal abbreviations and traditional US abbreviations? Postal and traditional US abbreviations refer to ways of abbreviating the names of the 50 states in the United States. Still, the two have a few key differences:
Postal abbreviations consist of two uppercase letters without periods. In contrast, traditional US abbreviations typically consist of a capitalized first letter followed by a lowercase second letter (e.g., "Calif." for California versus "CA" for California).
Postal abbreviations are primarily used in mailing addresses, while traditional US abbreviations are used more formally, including in academic writing and depending on different style guides.
Postal abbreviations were standardized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in the 1960s, so there is a consistent set of abbreviations that are recognized and used nationwide. Traditional US abbreviations, on the other hand, can change depending on the source.
Overall, postal and traditional US abbreviations serve similar purposes but have some important differences in format, usage, and consistency. So, below is the complete list of U.S. state abbreviations and codes from A-Z for your reference.
Regardless of what you're using this list for, here is the complete catalog for you to browse all 50 US state postal abbreviations and their traditional counterparts. The postal abbreviations are the official current state standard abbreviations standardized by the United States Postal Service (USPS.)
Looking for the postal abbreviation and traditional abbreviations for the US states from A-G?
| Name of U.S. State | Postal Abbrev. | Traditional Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Name of U.S. State Alabama | Postal Abbrev. AL | Traditional Abbreviation Ala. |
| Name of U.S. State Alaska | Postal Abbrev. AK | Traditional Abbreviation Alaska |
| Name of U.S. State Arizona | Postal Abbrev. AZ | Traditional Abbreviation Ariz. |
| Name of U.S. State Arkansas | Postal Abbrev. AR | Traditional Abbreviation Ark. |
| Name of U.S. State California | Postal Abbrev. CA | Traditional Abbreviation Calif. |
| Name of U.S. State Colorado | Postal Abbrev. CO | Traditional Abbreviation Colo. |
| Name of U.S. State Connecticut | Postal Abbrev. CT | Traditional Abbreviation Conn. |
| Name of U.S. State Delaware | Postal Abbrev. DE | Traditional Abbreviation Del. |
| Name of U.S. State Florida | Postal Abbrev. FL | Traditional Abbreviation Fla. |
| Name of U.S. State Georgia | Postal Abbrev. GA | Traditional Abbreviation Ga. |
All the abbreviations for the US states that start with H to M.
| Name of U.S. State | Postal Abbrev. | Traditional Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Name of U.S. State Hawaii | Postal Abbrev. HI | Traditional Abbreviation Hawaii |
| Name of U.S. State Idaho | Postal Abbrev. ID | Traditional Abbreviation Idaho |
| Name of U.S. State Illinois | Postal Abbrev. IL | Traditional Abbreviation Ill. |
| Name of U.S. State Indiana | Postal Abbrev. IN | Traditional Abbreviation Ind. |
| Name of U.S. State Iowa | Postal Abbrev. IA | Traditional Abbreviation Iowa |
| Name of U.S. State Kansas | Postal Abbrev. KS | Traditional Abbreviation Kans. |
| Name of U.S. State Kentucky | Postal Abbrev. KY | Traditional Abbreviation Ky. |
| Name of U.S. State Louisiana | Postal Abbrev. LA | Traditional Abbreviation La. |
| Name of U.S. State Maine | Postal Abbrev. ME | Traditional Abbreviation Maine |
| Name of U.S. State Maryland | Postal Abbrev. MD | Traditional Abbreviation Md. |
Can you remember the state abbreviations for US states A-M? Test our your knowledge here.
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Drag the postal abbreviation to its US state.
