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List of States in America, Names Origins and Meaning

including nickname, capital, state flag, state bird, elevation.

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Touch State Abbreviation to show image of state and flag. The Origin and Meaning of state names represent the prevailing consensus. Click on any underlined name or place for more information. Population is according to the 2023 estimated census and Gross Domestic Produce is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  (See the map for renaming the states based upon contemporary naming practices.)


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 #1    Alaska  AK    •Elevation of 20,320 ft. at Mount McKinley to 0 ft. at Pacific Ocean, difference of  20,320 ft.

 #2    California  CA    •Elevation of 14,505 ft. at Mount Whitney to -282 ft. at Badwater Basin, difference of  14,787 ft.

 #3    Colorado  CO    •Elevation of 14,440 ft. at Mount Elbert to 3,317 ft. at Arikaree River, difference of  11,123 ft.

 #4    Washington  WA    •Elevation of 14,410 ft. at Mount Rainier to 0 ft. at Pacific Ocean, difference of  14,410 ft.

 #5    Wyoming  WY    •Elevation of 13,809 ft. at Gannett Peak to 3,099 ft. at Belle Fourche River, difference of  10,710 ft.

 #6    Hawaii  HI    •Elevation of 13,803 ft. at Mauna Kea to 0 ft. at Pacific Ocean, difference of  13,803 ft.

 #7    Utah  UT    •Elevation of 13,528 ft. at Kings Peak to 2,000 ft. at Beaver Dam Wash, difference of  11,528 ft.

 #8    New Mexico  NM    •Elevation of 13,167 ft. at Wheeler Peak to 2,842 ft. at Red Bluff Reservoir, difference of  10,325 ft.

 #9    Nevada  NV    •Elevation of 13,147 ft. at Boundary Peak to 479 ft. at Colorado River, difference of  12,668 ft.

 #10    Montana  MT    •Elevation of 12,807 ft. at Granite Peak to 1,800 ft. at Kootenai River, difference of  11,007 ft.

 #11    Idaho  ID    •Elevation of 12,668 ft. at Borah Peak to 710 ft. at Snake River, difference of  11,958 ft.

 #12    Arizona  AZ    •Elevation of 12,637 ft. at Humphreys Peak to 70 ft. at Colorado River, difference of  12,567 ft.

 #13    Oregon  OR    •Elevation of 11,249 ft. at Mount Hood to 0 ft. at Pacific Ocean, difference of  11,249 ft.

 #14    Texas  TX    •Elevation of 8,751 ft. at Guadalupe Peak to 0 ft. at Gulf of Mexico, difference of  8,751 ft.

 #15    South Dakota  SD    •Elevation of 7,244 ft. at Harney Peak to 966 ft. at Big Stone Lake, difference of  6,278 ft.

 #16    North Carolina  NC    •Elevation of 6,684 ft. at Mount Mitchell to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  6,684 ft.

 #17    Tennessee  TN    •Elevation of 6,643 ft. at Clingmans Dome to 178 ft. at Mississippi River, difference of  6,465 ft.

 

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Sorted by Highest Point Above Sea Level

 #18    New Hampshire  NH    •Elevation of 6,288 ft. at Mount Washington to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  6,288 ft.

 #19    Virginia  VA    •Elevation of 5,729 ft. at Mount Rogers to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  5,729 ft.

 #20    Nebraska  NE    •Elevation of 5,424 ft. at Panorama Point to 849 ft. at Missouri River, difference of  4,575 ft.

 #21    Maine  ME    •Elevation of 5,368 ft. at Mount Katahdin to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  5,368 ft.

 #22    New York  NY    •Elevation of 5,334 ft. at Mount Marcy to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  5,334 ft.

 #23    Oklahoma  OK    •Elevation of 4,973 ft. at Black Mesa to 289 ft. at Little River, difference of  4,684 ft.

 #24    West Virginia  WV    •Elevation of 4,863 ft. at Spruce Knob to 0 ft. at Potomac River, difference of  4,863 ft.

 #25    Georgia  GA    •Elevation of 4,784 ft. at Brasstown Bald to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  4,784 ft.

 #26    Vermont  VT    •Elevation of 4,395 ft. at Mount Mansfield to 95 ft. at Lake Champlain, difference of  4,300 ft.

 #27    Kentucky  KY    •Elevation of 4,145 ft. at Black Mountain to 257 ft. at Mississippi River, difference of  3,888 ft.

 #28    Kansas  KS    •Elevation of 4,039 ft. at Mount Sunflower to 679 ft. at Verdigris River, difference of  3,360 ft.

 #29    South Carolina  SC    •Elevation of 3,560 ft. at Sassafras Mountain to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  3,560 ft.

 #30    North Dakota  ND    •Elevation of 3,506 ft. at White Butte to 750 ft. at Red River, difference of  2,756 ft.

 #31    Massachusetts  MA    •Elevation of 3,492 ft. at Mount Greylock to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  3,492 ft.

 #32    Maryland  MD    •Elevation of 3,360 ft. at Hoye-Crest to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  3,360 ft.

 #33    Pennsylvania  PA    •Elevation of 3,213 ft. at Mount Davis to 0 ft. at Delaware River, difference of  3,213 ft.

 #34    Arkansas  AR    •Elevation of 2,653 ft. at Magazine Mountain to 55 ft. at Ouachita River, difference of  2,598 ft.

 #35    Alabama  AL    •Elevation of 2,413 ft. at Cheaha Mountain to 0 ft. at Gulf of Mexico, difference of  2,413 ft.

 

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Sorted by Highest Point Above Sea Level

 #36    Connecticut  CT    •Elevation of 2,380 ft. at Mount Frissell to 0 ft. at Long Island Sound, difference of  2,380 ft.

 #37    Minnesota  MN    •Elevation of 2,301 ft. at Eagle Mountain to 601 ft. at Lake Superior, difference of  1,700 ft.

 #38    Michigan  MI    •Elevation of 1,979 ft. at Mount Arvon to 571 ft. at Lake Erie, difference of  1,408 ft.

 #39    Wisconsin  WI    •Elevation of 1,951 ft. at Timms Hill to 579 ft. at Lake Michigan, difference of  1,372 ft.

 #40    New Jersey  NJ    •Elevation of 1,803 ft. at High Point to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  1,803 ft.

 #41    Missouri  MO    •Elevation of 1,772 ft. at Taum Sauk Mountain to 230 ft. at Saint Francis River, difference of  1,542 ft.

 #42    Iowa  IA    •Elevation of 1,670 ft. at Hawkeye Point to 480 ft. at Mississippi River, difference of  1,190 ft.

 #43    Ohio  OH    •Elevation of 1,550 ft. at Campbell Hill to 455 ft. at Ohio River, difference of  1,095 ft.

 #44    Indiana  IN    •Elevation of 1,257 ft. at Hoosier Hill to 320 ft. at Ohio River, difference of  937 ft.

 #45    Illinois  IL    •Elevation of 1,235 ft. at Charles Mound to 279 ft. at Mississippi River, difference of  956 ft.

 #46    Rhode Island  RI    •Elevation of 812 ft. at Jerimoth Hill to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  812 ft.

 #47    Mississippi  MS    •Elevation of 807 ft. at Woodall Mountain to 0 ft. at Gulf of Mexico, difference of  807 ft.

 #48    Louisiana  LA    •Elevation of 535 ft. at Driskill Mountain to -8 ft. at New Orleans, difference of  543 ft.

 #49    Delaware  DE    •Elevation of 451 ft. at Ebright Azimuth to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  451 ft.

 #50    District of Columbia  DC    •Elevation of 409 ft. at Fort Reno Park to 0 ft. at Potomac River, difference of  409 ft.

 #51    Florida  FL    •Elevation of 345 ft. at Britton Hill to 0 ft. at Atlantic Ocean, difference of  345 ft.

* Officially RI is State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

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List of highest elevations

RankState  highest elevations
     1.  AK 20,320 ft. (Mount McKinley)
     2.  CA 14,505 ft. (Mount Whitney)
     3.  CO 14,440 ft. (Mount Elbert)
     4.  WA 14,410 ft. (Mount Rainier)
     5.  WY 13,809 ft. (Gannett Peak)
     6.  HI 13,803 ft. (Mauna Kea)
     7.  UT 13,528 ft. (Kings Peak)
     8.  NM 13,167 ft. (Wheeler Peak)
     9.  NV 13,147 ft. (Boundary Peak)
   10.  MT 12,807 ft. (Granite Peak)
   11.  ID 12,668 ft. (Borah Peak)
   12.  AZ 12,637 ft. (Humphreys Peak)
   13.  OR 11,249 ft. (Mount Hood)
   14.  TX 8,751 ft. (Guadalupe Peak)
   15.  SD 7,244 ft. (Harney Peak)
   16.  NC 6,684 ft. (Mount Mitchell)
   17.  TN 6,643 ft. (Clingmans Dome)
   18.  NH 6,288 ft. (Mount Washington)
   19.  VA 5,729 ft. (Mount Rogers)
   20.  NE 5,424 ft. (Panorama Point)
   21.  ME 5,368 ft. (Mount Katahdin)
   22.  NY 5,334 ft. (Mount Marcy)
   23.  OK 4,973 ft. (Black Mesa)
   24.  WV 4,863 ft. (Spruce Knob)
   25.  GA 4,784 ft. (Brasstown Bald)
   26.  VT 4,395 ft. (Mount Mansfield)
   27.  KY 4,145 ft. (Black Mountain)
   28.  KS 4,039 ft. (Mount Sunflower)
   29.  SC 3,560 ft. (Sassafras Mountain)
   30.  ND 3,506 ft. (White Butte)
   31.  MA 3,492 ft. (Mount Greylock)
   32.  MD 3,360 ft. (Hoye-Crest)
   33.  PA 3,213 ft. (Mount Davis)
   34.  AR 2,653 ft. (Magazine Mountain)
   35.  AL 2,413 ft. (Cheaha Mountain)
   36.  CT 2,380 ft. (Mount Frissell)
   37.  MN 2,301 ft. (Eagle Mountain)
   38.  MI 1,979 ft. (Mount Arvon)
   39.  WI 1,951 ft. (Timms Hill)
   40.  NJ 1,803 ft. (High Point)
   41.  MO 1,772 ft. (Taum Sauk Mountain)
   42.  IA 1,670 ft. (Hawkeye Point)
   43.  OH 1,550 ft. (Campbell Hill)
   44.  IN 1,257 ft. (Hoosier Hill)
   45.  IL 1,235 ft. (Charles Mound)
   46.  RI 812 ft. (Jerimoth Hill)
   47.  MS 807 ft. (Woodall Mountain)
   48.  LA 535 ft. (Driskill Mountain)
   49.  DE 451 ft. (Ebright Azimuth)
   50.  DC 409 ft. (Fort Reno Park)
   51.  FL 345 ft. (Britton Hill)
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