How Well Do You Know US Geography?

WORLD

By: Stella Alexander

6 Min Quiz

Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

"Where in the USA is Carmen SanDiego?" While the game might've helped you learn geography, it won't help you now! Carmen's ditching you today and you have to prove yourself. There's tons to know when it comes to U.S. geography, but very few people actually know the facts. Do you? Prove that you're a total genius by getting at least 28/35 on this quiz!

The United States is the third most populated and third largest country in the entire world. With these numbers, you can expect that it would have a vast range of geography to learn. Millions of people from around the world travel to see some of the U.S.'s most famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore. You'll find that national marks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone bring in the nature lovers. While these are some of the United States' greatest geographical landmarks, one can't forget about the ones that don't receive as much attention. While Niagara Falls is a common site, we can't forget about the Finger Lakes or the Missouri-Mississippi rivers. These natural sites are just as important as the man-made one, but we're here to find out how much you know about them.

From Golden Gate Bridge to the Appalachian Mountains, can you prove that you're a total genius with this U.S. geography quiz? Let's find out!

In New York, there lies a group of 11 lakes. What body part are they named after?

The Finger Lakes are 11 lakes that lie in northern New York. They can be found between the cities of Syracuse and Rochester.

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What river lies between the border of Texas and Mexico?

The Rio Grande is a river that forms a border between Texas and Mexico. It is over 1,800 miles long.

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What is the largest U.S. state by land area?

The 49th state, Alaska is the largest of the United States, spanning over 663,000 square miles.

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Which mountain is the highest point in the United States?

Mt. McKinley, also referred to as Denali, is the highest point in the United States. The mountain stands at over 20,000 feet tall.

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Which of the following states does Yellowstone National Park not fall in?

Yellowstone National Park is massive and lies on the border of three states. Those states are Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

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What is the southernmost contiguous state?

While Hawaii might be the southernmost point of the entire United States, it is not part of the continuous or continental United States. The southernmost point of the continental United States lies in Florida.

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A state's largest city is often thought to be that state's capital. This is rarely true! Which of the following states has a capital that is not its largest city?

New York's biggest city is New York City while its capital is Albany. In fact, New York City is the largest city in the United States. The remaining capitals of Denver (Colorado), Phoenix (Arizona), and Atlanta (Georgia) are those state's capitals as well as its biggest city.

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What was the last state to join the United States?

Hawaii was the last state to join the Union. It joined the United States on August 21, 1959.

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Which of the following states was not one of the thirteen colonies?

New Jersey, New York and South Carolina were all part of the thirteen original colonies. Ohio did not become a state until 1803, becoming the 17th state.

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How many time zones are in the United States?

Don't get fooled. While the contiguous U.S. has four time zones, don't forget about Alaska and Hawaii. The six official time zones are (from west to east): Hawaii-Aleutian STZ, Alaska STZ, Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern.

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What is the largest mountain range in the United States?

The Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain range within the United States. It begins north in Canada and travels down to New Mexico. The mountains cover six states including Montana, Colorado, and Utah.

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Washington D.C. has a greater population than which of the following states?

Washington D.C. is such a populous city that is has a population greater than Wyoming and Vermont. Washington, D.C. has a population of just over 693,000 while Wyoming's population lies around 620,000.

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What is the longest river?

The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States. At 2,341 miles long, it beats out the Mississippi by 21 miles.

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New York City is the largest city in the United States. It is made up of how many boroughs?

New York City is the largest city in the United States as well as the most populous. It is made up of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.

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Six of the 50 states have a capital that begins with the letter "S." Which of the following is NOT one of those states?

The six states whose capitals begin with S are California, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and Illinois. North Dakota's capital is Bismarck.

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What is the time difference between the Eastern Time Zone and Mountain Time Zone?

Each time zone is an hour difference as you travel east or west. There is a two-hour difference between the Eastern Time Zone and Mountain Time Zone. If it is 10AM in New York City, it would be 8AM in Denver, Colorado.

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There are thirteen states that share a border with Canada. Which of the following states is one of them?

There are 13 states that share a border with Canada. They are: Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

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While also being the largest state, Alaska also has the largest state capital. What is it?

Alaska's capital, Juneau, is also the largest state capital in the United States. It's over 2700 square miles.

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What is the smallest state?

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States. At only 1,212 square miles, Rhode Island can fit into Alaska, the biggest state, up to 425 times.

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Which state has one of the Great Lakes named after it?

There are five Great Lakes, only one of them named after a state, which is Michigan. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake that lies entirely within the United States.

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The Mississippi River empties into what body of water?

The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States. It begins in northern Minnesota and runs for over 2300 miles before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

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While the Mississippi River empties out into the Gulf of Mexico, in which state would you find its mouth?

Don't let the name fool you. Although it is named after Mississippi, the river empties out into the Gulf of Mexico through Louisiana.

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What is the most populated state in the United States?

California is the most populated state in the United States. It has a population of over 39 million people.

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The Outer Banks are part of which state?

The Outer Banks are part of the North Carolina. They are a series of islands that are heavily visited for their beaches.

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What is the longest route in the U.S.?

Route 20 is the longest road in the United States. At over 3300 miles long, it spans from Newport, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts.

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Which of the following states is split between two time zones?

There are quite a few states that are separated between two time zones. Oregon is just one of many. It is split between the Pacific and Mountain time zones. A few other states that lie in two time zones are Florida, Indiana, Texas, and Nebraska.

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What landmark spans across the Colorado River?

The Hoover Dam spans across the Colorado River. It was built in 1931 and lies on the border between Arizona and Nevada.

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Alaska and Russia are just 55 short miles apart. What is the body of water that separates them?

The Bering Strait is the body of water that lies between Alaska and Russia.

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How many states border Mexico?

There are 4 U.S. states that share a border with Mexico. They are: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

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Which of the following state's three largest cities begin with the letter "C," including its capital?

Ohio's three largest cities are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. Its largest city and capital is Columbus.

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There are five Great Lakes. What word is used as an acronym to remember them?

There are five Great Lakes that lie between the United States and Canada. The acronym used to remember them is HOMES for: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

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Alaska very obviously shares its border with Canada. Which Canadian province/territory does it border?

Alaska shares its only land border with Canada. It is bordered by the Yukon territory.

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Which state is nicknamed the Lone Star State?

Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State. If you look at their map, you would find one star on in - ironic! Texas' capital is Austin.

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Which major city is nicknamed "Sin City?"

Las Vegas is a major city that has been nicknamed "Sin City." It can be found in Nevada.

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When a state is said to be landlocked, that mean it doesn't come in contact with a bay, gulf, or ocean. There is only one state that is TRIPLE-landlocked. Which is it?

There is only state that is triple-landlocked and that is Nebraska. This means that one would have to travel through three states to reach a bay, gulf, or ocean.

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