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 | Oreg. | OR |
Pennsylvania | Pa. | 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 | |
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