Can You Pass American Geography?

By: Jouviane Alexandre
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass American Geography?
Image: Pixabay by ErikaWittlieb

About This Quiz

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. You might've done a little chant as you read those letters, and you aren't alone! When it came to American geography, we were all chanting to remember how to spell a state - or was it the river? It's both!

Regardless of your schooling, you've probably seen the typical map of America, with the states highlighted in various colors of red, orange, yellow and green. It always came equipped with a legend. You were shown state boundaries, major rivers and roads, and even state capitals. You were shown major cities that ranged all over the country, from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Charlotte, North Carolina. How well do you remember it? 

The third largest country in the world, the United States is made up of 50 states, over 1,000 lakes, dozens of major rivers and three major mountain ranges. With all this said, do you have enough stored in your memory to pass this quiz?

Do you remember whether it's an ocean, sea or gulf that lies between Texas and Florida? Can you pick out which countries lie at the border? With over a thousand lakes, can you name the five "Great" ones? We're putting you to the ultimate test! Let's find out if you're passing American geography by taking this quiz! 

Which of these rivers runs at the border of Texas and Mexico?
Columbia River
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande begins in Colorado and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Directly between part of Mexico and Texas, it forms part of the border between the US and Mexico.
Saint Lawrence River
Yukon River
Which lake is missing from this group of Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron?
Lake Washington
Lake Minnesota
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan lies between the four states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. The acronym commonly used to remember the five Great Lakes is HOMES.
Lake Niagara
What is the name of the major park in Manhattan, NYC?
Golden Gate Park
Prospect Park
Central Park
Central Park is the most visited public park in the US, with over 37 million visitors a year. Many movies and television shows have been filmed here, such as "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" and "Enchanted," and the TV series "Sex and the City," "Gossip Girl," and "Law and Order."
Patterson Park

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Which state has the capital Trenton and is nicknamed the Garden State?
South Carolina
Delaware
New Jersey
New Jersey is the third official state of the United States. Although it is the fourth smallest, it is the most densely populated state, with close to 9 million people.
Oregon
What is the name of the major mountain range in the eastern United States?
Great Plains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains span 1,500 miles in eastern North America. This mountain range begins in Canada and spans south into Georgia and Alabama.
Atlantic Coastal Plain
Central Lowland
Raleigh is the capital of what state?
Virginia
North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina. It was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who is known for establishing the Roanoke Colony.
South Carolina
Maryland

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In which of these states will you find Mount Rushmore?
Wyoming
Colorado
South Dakota
South Dakota, known as The Mount Rushmore State, boasts Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota. The landmark has the face of four past presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Nebraska
In which state will you find the Grand Canyon?
Wyoming
Arizona
The Grand Canyon encompasses a length of 277 miles and is formed around the Colorado River. The entire canyon lies in Northern Arizona and is thought to be over 5 million years old.
Colorado
Nevada
In what state will you find Yellowstone National Park?
Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park is mostly located in northwestern Wyoming, but the park site also spans slightly into Idaho and Montana.
North Dakota
Utah
Colorado

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Which of these combinations is the proper state capital pairing?
San Francisco, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Miami, Florida
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut, is the only proper capital matched with its state in this list. The capitals of California, Nevada, and Florida are Sacramento, Carson City, and Tallahassee, respectively.
Which of these cities is the capital of Texas?
Austin
Austin is the capital of Texas and the 11th most populated city in the entire country.
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio
Which state has the capital Salem, houses Crater Lake National Park, and is nicknamed the Beaver State?
Oregon
Oregon is located in the Pacific Northwest and borders Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and California.
Washington
Idaho
Wyoming

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What is the largest lake in the United States?
Great Salt Lake
Lake Huron
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States, at 31,700 square miles. It is followed by the other Great Lakes - Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.
Lake Champlain
Which of these states has three big cities that start with the letter C?
California
New York
Ohio
The three largest cities in Ohio are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. The largest of them all - the capital - is Columbus.
Texas
Which of the following is not one of the five boroughs of New York City?
Westchester
Although Westchester is a county of New York, the five boroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
Staten Island
Brooklyn
Queens

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Which state is nicknamed "The First State?"
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, is nicknamed "The First State." It is also the second smallest state, after Rhode Island.
Connecticut
New York
What is the last state that the Mississippi River passes through before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico?
Texas
Mississippi
Louisiana
Although named after the state of Mississippi, the river runs along the whole western border of the state before continuing into Louisiana and emptying at the Mississippi River Delta.
Florida
What is the tallest mountain in the United States?
Mount Everest
Mount Saint Elias
Mount McKinley
Although we kept the traditional name, Mount McKinley, for this quiz, the official name of the mountain has been changed to Denali. In 1975, Alaska petitioned to have the name changed to "Denali" and it was changed in August 2015.
Mount Bona

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If I am travelling south from North Dakota to Texas, what are the four states I will travel through, in order?
South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska
South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma
South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma
When travelling from north to south, the states down the center of the continental United States are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Which of these states borders Kansas?
Utah
Wyoming
Iowa
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is the only listed state that shares a border with Kansas. Kansas is also bordered by Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri.
Which state has the southernmost point in the continental US?
Texas
Florida
The southernmost point in the CONTINENTAL United States is Key West, Florida. The southernmost state in the entire United States would be Hawaii, which is south of the Tropic of Cancer. This is on par with the Caribbean countries south of Florida, such as Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
California
Hawaii

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How many US states border Mexico?
3
4
Mexico is bordered by four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
5
6
Which state doesn't border the Mississippi River?
Arkansas
Illinois
Missouri
Alabama
The Mississippi river rises in Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It passes through Minnesota and borders states like Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Which of the states listed below is the northernmost?
Washington
Although in this list Washington is the northernmost, Alaska is the northernmost state in the entire US. Minnesota is considered to have the northern-most point in the continental US, which is the town of Angle, Minnesota.
Connecticut
South Dakota
Michigan

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What is the correct order, from the most populous to the least, for these four states?
Texas, New York, Florida, California
New York, California, Texas, Florida
New York, Texas, California, Florida
California, Texas, New York, Florida
The correct order is option four, according to the 2013 Census. California held the lead by more than 12 million people, at 38 million total.
Which of these four states has the most bordering states?
Texas
Iowa
Tennessee
Tennessee and Missouri tie with the most shared state borders at eight. Tennessee shares a border with Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Utah
What is the correct order for these four states, from smallest to largest?
Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii
Although it is thought to be small, Hawaii has the most land area out of these four states, with 6,423 sqare miles. Rhode Island is the smallest state with 1,045.
Hawaii, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut
Rhode Island, Hawaii, Delaware, Connecticut
Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, Connecticut

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If it is 1 a.m. in Colorado, what time would it be in California, Missouri, and New Jersey, respectively?
12 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m.
11 p.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m.
12 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m.
12 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m.
If you thought we were trying to trick you, you were right! If it is 1AM in Colorado, the time in California would be one hour behind at 12AM! The time zones for the continental US from west to east are Pacific Time, Mountain Time, Central Time, and Eastern Time.
Which of these states was one of the 13 original colonies?
Vermont
West Virginia
Alabama
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is the only state listed that was a part of the original 13 colonies. The others were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.
How many states have a cardinal direction as a part of their name?
Two
Six
Four
Five
There are five states in the US with cardinal directions as part of their name: North and South Dakota, North and South Carolina, and West Virginia.

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How many US states border the Pacific Ocean?
Three
Four
Five
There are five states that border the Pacific Ocean. The continental states are Washington, Oregon, and California, while the last two are Alaska and Hawaii.
Six
The Rocky Mountains aren't found in which of these states?
Idaho
New Mexico
Montana
Nevada
The Rocky Mountains are 3,000 miles long, beginning in western Canada and spanning all the way south into northern New Mexico.
How many US states border Canada?
11
12
13
There are 13 states that are considered to share a geographical border (land and water) with Canada. Some of the more obvious ones are Alaska, Maine, Washington, Montana, and New York.
14

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What is the longest river in the United States?
Mississippi
Missouri
The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States. It begins in western Montana and continues into the Mississippi River. The Missouri River runs for 2,341 miles, while the Mississippi River is just behind it, at 2,320.
Yukon
Rio Grande
Which of these states DOES NOT border Canada?
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is the only state listed that doesn't share a geographical border with Canada. Minnesota shares a land border with Canada, while Ohio and Pennsylvania share a water border with the country through Lake Erie.
Minnesota
You Got:
/35
Pixabay by ErikaWittlieb