List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation
This is a list of traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories. These abbreviations (short names) were used in mailing addresses before the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations. The traditional abbreviations are still commonly used in other ways besides mailing addresses. For example, they can be used in writing after a city (like in "Miami, Fla."). In 1987 the Secretary of Commerce switched to the two-letter State Alpha Code for state abbreviations.
States
| State | Traditional abbreviation | Other abbreviations |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Ala. | AL |
| Alaska | Alaska | AK |
| Arizona | Ariz. | AZ |
| Arkansas | Ark. | AR |
| California | Calif. | CA |
| Colorado | Colo. | CO |
| Connecticut | Conn. | CT |
| Delaware | Del. | DE |
| District of Columbia | D.C. | DC |
| Florida | Fla. | FL |
| Georgia | Ga. | GA |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | HI |
| Idaho | Idaho | ID |
| Illinois | Ill. | IL |
| Indiana | Ind. | IN |
| Iowa | Iowa | IA |
| Kansas | Kans. | KS |
| Kentucky | Ky. | KY |
| Louisiana | La. | LA |
| Maine | Maine | ME |
| Maryland | Md. | MD |
| Massachusetts | Mass. | MA |
| Michigan | Mich. | MI |
| Minnesota | Minn. | MN |
| Mississippi | Miss. | MS |
| Missouri | Mo. | MO |
| Montana | Mont. | MT |
| Nebraska | Nebr. | NE |
| Nevada | Nev. | NV |
| New Hampshire | N.H. | NH |
| New Jersey | N.J. | NJ |
| New Mexico | N. Mex. | NM |
| New York | N.Y. | NY |
| North Carolina | N.C. | NC |
| North Dakota | N. Dak. | ND |
| Ohio | Ohio | OH |
| Oklahoma | Okla. | OK |
| Oregon | Ore. | OR |
| Pennsylvania | Pa. or Penn. | PA |
| Rhode Island | R.I. | RI |
| South Carolina | S.C. | SC |
| South Dakota | S. Dak. | SD |
| Tennessee | Tenn. | TN |
| Texas | Tex. | TX |
| Utah | Utah | UT |
| Vermont | Vt. | VT |
| Virginia | Va. | VA |
| Washington | Wash. | WA |
| West Virginia | W. Va. | WV |
| Wisconsin | Wis. | WI |
| Wyoming | Wyo. | WY |
Territories
| Territory | Traditional abbreviation | Other abbreviations |
|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | A.S. | |
| Guam | Guam | GU |
| Northern Mariana Islands | M.P. | |
| Panama Canal Zone | C.Z. | |
| Puerto Rico | P.R. | PUR |
| Virgin Islands | V.I. |
References
- The Riverside Publishing Company. (1984). Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary. ISBN 0-395-33957-X
- Chicago Manual of Style and AP Style Manual state abbreviations
- FIPS State Codes of the US and Outlying Areas