US States & Capitals Worksheets
Learning the states is a memory job with a map behind it, and it goes faster when a student meets the same fifty names in several different shapes. These worksheets move from matching a state to its capital, through grouping states by region, to naming which states share a border with which.
- Grades
- Grades 3–8
- Worksheets
- 61
- Topics
- 6
Free · Answer keys included · No sign-up
Printable US map worksheets — the whole country, and every state
Start with the map of the whole United States, every state on one page. Below it are 50 sheets, one per state: each prints the state large enough to work on, with a star already marking the capital and a map of the country in the corner. Color the state in, label the capital and the major cities, then draw in the rivers and the higher ground. Written for Grade 4 and suited to Grades 3 to 5.
All fifty states on one map
Label the States on the Map
A printable US map with 49 states numbered and a numbered list where students write each name. Hawaii is drawn but not numbered. Free PDF with the answer key.
Get the whole-country map →
Or take one state on its own:
Northeast · 11
Southeast · 12
Midwest · 12
Southwest · 4
How to choose a US States & Capitals worksheet
Start with the topic that matches what the student is currently working on. In many US schools, naming the fifty states is introduced around grade 3, so the Recognizing the Fifty US States Worksheet is a natural first sheet; it supplies a word bank, and it is also listed for grade 2. Once a student knows the states, the Bordering States (grade 4) and State Capitals (grades 5 and 6) worksheets extend that knowledge. The single-state map worksheets, one for each of the fifty states, are written for grade 4 and suit grades 3 to 5.
Grade level changes what a sheet asks a student to do. A grade 3 sheet like Recognizing the Fifty US States Worksheet fills every blank from a printed word bank, while a grade 5 sheet like Label the States on the Map asks students to recall answers without that support. A grade 6 sheet like State Capitals — Matching and Analysis Worksheet moves to two-to-three-sentence written responses. If a student finds a grade-level sheet too easy, try the same topic one grade higher; if it is too difficult, step down one grade; at grade 3 and below the sheets add a printed word bank.
Topics in us states & capitals
- The Fifty States — Grade 3 to Grade 6
Recognizing the fifty state names, telling them apart from cities and countries, and knowing roughly where each one sits in the country.
- State Capitals — Grade 4 to Grade 8
Matching each state to its capital city, including the states whose largest city is not their capital.
- States by Region — Grade 3 to Grade 7
Sorting states into the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West, and knowing what each region has in common.
- State Abbreviations — Grade 4 to Grade 8
The two-letter postal abbreviations, including the pairs that are easy to confuse because several states begin with the same letters.
- State Nicknames — Grade 5 to Grade 8
State nicknames and the geography, history or industry each one comes from.
- Bordering States — Grade 4 to Grade 8
Which states share a border with which, and reading the country as a set of neighbors rather than a list of names.
Any topic on this list can appear for any grade it covers.
Grade 3
All grade 3 worksheets →Grade 4
All grade 4 worksheets →Identifying the Fifty U.S. States
Covers state names, capitals, and regions for Grade 4 students learning to distinguish states from cities and countries across the U.S.
Bordering States Map Skills Worksheet
Grade 4 worksheet drilling U.S. bordering states through matching, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and a short-answer reasoning question.
Grade 5
All grade 5 worksheets →US State Nicknames
Practice matching states to their official nicknames and explaining the geography, history, or industry behind each one. Designed for Grade 5.
Sorting US States by Region Worksheet
Grade 5 students sort US states into the five US regions and explore what climate, landforms, and geography the states in each region have in common.
State Capitals Matching Worksheet
Grade 5 worksheet drilling state capital matching, multiple-choice, and reasoning, with emphasis on states whose largest city is not the capital.
Grade 6
All grade 6 worksheets →US States by Region
Grade 6 worksheet on US regions: students match, analyze, and explain which states belong to the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, or West.
State Capitals — Matching and Analysis Worksheet
Drill state capitals with matching, multiple-choice, and short-answer questions focused on states whose largest city is not the capital.
Grade 7
All grade 7 worksheets →Grade 8
All grade 8 worksheets →Every US States & Capitals worksheet, by topic
Plus the 50 state map worksheets, listed by region at the top of this page.
The Fifty States · 3
- Recognizing the Fifty US States Worksheet · Grade 3
- Identifying the Fifty U.S. States · Grade 4
- Label the States on the Map · Grade 5
State Capitals · 2
States by Region · 2
- Sorting US States by Region Worksheet · Grade 5
- US States by Region · Grade 6
State Abbreviations · 2
- State Abbreviations Worksheet · Grade 7
- Two-Letter State Abbreviations Practice Worksheet · Grade 8
State Nicknames · 1
- US State Nicknames · Grade 5
Bordering States · 1
- Bordering States Map Skills Worksheet · Grade 4
Teaching guide
- How to Teach All Fifty US States and Capitals
A sequenced guide for teachers and home educators covering all fifty states and capitals by region, with pacing, retrieval practice, and assessment.