Category: Spotlight on States

Oregon was the 33rd state to join the union on February 14, 1859. Salem is the state capital and its largest city is Portland. Oregon is the 9th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the U.S states of California, Idaho, Nevada, Washington.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Oregon is 4,272,371 (July 2024 est.); it ranks as the 27th most populous …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Oklahoma!

Oklahoma is located in the middle of the country and is bordered by Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The state’s name is derived from the Choctaw words okla, which means “people” and humma, which translates as “red. Oklahoma is known as the Sooner State.

Oklahoma became the 46th state on November 16, 1907. Its largest city, Oklahoma …

Ohio was the 17th state to join the union on March 1, 1803. Columbus is the state capital and its largest city. Ohio is the 34th largest state and is bordered by the U.S states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan.

Ohio gets its name from the Ohio River, which in turn, derives its name from the Seneca (Iroquois) word “ohi:yo”, meaning “good river” or “great …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: North Dakota!

North Dakota is a landlocked state in the upper Midwest. It was named after the indigenous Dakota and Sioux people, and it is bordered by Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana, and Canada. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area, but is the fourth-least populated and fourth-most sparsely populated with a population of just under 800,000 people.

North Dakota …

North Carolina was the 12th state to join the union on November 21, 1789. Raleigh is the state capital and Charlotte is its largest city. North Carolina is the 28th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of North Carolina is 11,046,024 (July 2024 est.); it ranks as …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: New York!

New York, also known as the Empire State, was one of the original 13 colonies and became a state on July 26, 1788. It is bordered by Lake Erie, Canada, Lake Ontario, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic Ocean.

New York’s state capital is Albany, and its biggest city is New York City. As of …

New Mexico was the 47th state to join the union on January 6, 1912. Santa Fe is the state capital and Albuquerque is its largest city.

New Mexico is the 5th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the U.S states of Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of New Mexico is 1,409,032 (July 2024 est.); it …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: New Jersey!

New Jersey is one of the original 13 colonies and became a state on December 18, 1787. It is one of the smallest states in land area, but has one of the highest population densities. The estimated population in 2024 was 9,500,851. It is bordered by New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic Ocean. New Jersey was named …

New Hampshire was the 9th state to join the union on June 21, 1788. Concord is the state capital and Manchester is its largest city. New Hampshire is the 46th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of New Hampshire is 1,409,032 (July 2024 est.); it ranks as the 42nd …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Nevada!

Nevada became the 36th state on Oct. 31, 1864. It ranks seventh among our states in total land area. Nevada shares borders with Oregon and Idaho to the north, Utah to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and California to the west.

In the early 21st century, Nevada was one of the fastest-growing states in population. Its estimated population …