American State Abbreviations
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2010/05/08 - Updated: 2021/02/18
Topic: Medical Calculators and Charts - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: List of United States State abbreviations for U.S. postal services including U.S.A. possessions and military states. The United States Postal Service (USPS) state abbreviations help process mail with optical character recognition and other automated equipment.
Introduction
These postal abbreviations are distinguished from traditional abbreviations such as Calif., Fla., or Tex.
Main Item
The United States Postal Service has established a set of abbreviations to help process mail with optical character recognition and other automated equipment. There are also official USPS abbreviations for other parts of the address, such as street designators (street, avenue, road, etc.).
The traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories, widely used in mailing addresses prior to the introduction of two-letter U.S. postal abbreviations, are still used for other purposes, and are still recognized by the U.S. Postal Service.
The table below shows the US Postal Service (USPS) abbreviation for each of the United States, districts, territories, and possessions.
| American State | U.S. State Abbreviations |
|---|---|
| ALABAMA | AL |
| ALASKA | AK |
| AMERICAN SAMOA | AS |
| ARIZONA | AZ |
| ARKANSAS | AR |
| CALIFORNIA | CA |
| COLORADO | CO |
| CONNECTICUT | CT |
| DELAWARE | DE |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | DC |
| FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA | FM |
| FLORIDA | FL |
| GEORGIA | GA |
| GUAM | GU |
| HAWAII | HI |
| IDAHO | ID |
| ILLINOIS | IL |
| INDIANA | IN |
| IOWA | IA |
| KANSAS | KS |
| KENTUCKY | KY |
| LOUISIANA | LA |
| MAINE | ME |
| MARSHALL ISLANDS | MH |
| MARYLAND | MD |
| MASSACHUSETTS | MA |
| MICHIGAN | MI |
| MINNESOTA | MN |
| MISSISSIPPI | MS |
| MISSOURI | MO |
| MONTANA | MT |
| NEBRASKA | NE |
| NEVADA | NV |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | NH |
| NEW JERSEY | NJ |
| NEW MEXICO | NM |
| NEW YORK | NY |
| NORTH CAROLINA | NC |
| NORTH DAKOTA | ND |
| NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS | MP |
| OHIO | OH |
| OKLAHOMA | OK |
| OREGON | OR |
| PALAU | PW |
| PENNSYLVANIA | PA |
| PUERTO RICO | PR |
| RHODE ISLAND | RI |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | SC |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | SD |
| TENNESSEE | TN |
| TEXAS | TX |
| UTAH | UT |
| VERMONT | VT |
| VIRGIN ISLANDS | VI |
| VIRGINIA | VA |
| WASHINGTON | WA |
| WEST VIRGINIA | WV |
| WISCONSIN | WI |
| WYOMING | WY |
| Military States | Abbreviation |
| Armed Forces Africa | AE |
| Armed Forces Americas | AA |
| Armed Forces Canada | AE |
| Armed Forces Europe | AE |
| Armed Forces Middle East | AE |
| Armed Forces Pacific | AP |
Author Credentials: Ian was born and grew up in Australia. Since then, he has traveled and lived in numerous locations and currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Ian is the founder, a writer, and editor in chief for Disabled World. Ian believes in the Social Model of Disability, a belief developed by disabled people in the 1970s. The social model changes the focus away from people's impairments and towards removing barriers that disabled people face daily. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and achievements, check out his bio.