Can You Pass This Sudden Death U.S. State Quiz?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Pass This Sudden Death U.S. State Quiz?
Image: Tomasz Szulczewski / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

You already know that 50 states comprise the United States of America, but do you remember your middle school facts about them? These rapid-fire, sudden death questions will put your memory to the test! We won't ask you to name all the state capitals, but we will see how well you know your state stuff. 

Do you know where you can find Mount Rushmore? How about the world's largest man-made arch? Before you give us your answer, take a moment to think about the question you've been asked. At first, they might look a little tough, but we've tried to stick to those that are common knowledge. Full of state facts, we think your geographical memory will be jarred enough to dig up the correct response. 

You're not going to be on a timer, and we've given you a hint, but you'll still need to be careful! Sudden death quizzes are serious business, and you won't want to get any of them wrong. Think back to the U.S. history exams of your youth, and dig up the state facts you already know. Will you survive all 35 questions, or will you need to go back to school? Put on your state's favorite thinking cap, and get started! 


Kansas Dorothy once told Toto that she didn't think they were in which state anymore?
Texas
Kansas
Immediately after being transported to Oz, Dorothy was already missing Kansas. A state since 1861, The Sunflower State is home to nearly 3 million people who love calling the region known as "the breadbasket" home.
West Virginia
Nebraska

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Kentucky Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green are cities in which Bluegrass State?
Indiana
Washington
Minnesota
Kentucky
Kentucky doesn't get its nickname from a style of old-timey music. The Bluegrass State name comes from a variety of grass that grows outside the northern part of the state. It's not blue, but its pods sometimes add a blue hue from a distance.

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Ohio Which Midwestern U.S. state is the birthplace of eight former presidents and three cities that begin with the letter "C"?
Kentucky
Illinois
Ohio
Founded in 1803, Ohio has produced more U.S. presidents than any other state! Former Presidents Madison, Harrison, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, McKinley, Taft and Harding were all born near the towns of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Indiana

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Alabama capitol Louisiana hosts Mardi Gras every year, but which nearby U.S. state held the first celebration?
Alabama
Long before Alabama became a state, Mardi Gras was first celebrated by French settlers near Mobile. The festival went dormant for a number of years, but a man named Joe Cain brought it back after the Civil War.
Michigan
Utah
Florida

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Alaska In this state, you can be fined for whispering into a moose hunter's ear. Can you figure out which state it is?
Oregon
Arizona
Alaska
Although not part of the continental United States, Alaska has a lot to offer. Oil and natural gas are the state's biggest export, but Alaska is desperate for dentists and physicians.
Texas

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Yellowstone Most of Yellowstone National Park is located in which one of these states?
Montana
Wyoming
There's a reason they call Wyoming "The Equality State." Long before Congress passed the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Wyoming had already allowed it. Wyoming is also home to the first female governor to serve one of the states.
Idaho
Colorado

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West Virginia What state was part of Virginia until it seceded during the Civil War era?
Maryland
Delaware
West Virginia
West Virginia had been trying to separate itself from the eastern part of Virginia since 1769. It wasn't until political disagreements over the Civil War led the state to secede in 1863.
North Carolina

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Nevada Do you know which Southwestern state is home to the American City of Lights and nicknamed The Sagebrush State?
Nevada
When you think of Nevada, you might think of the twinkling lights of Las Vegas or the capital city of Reno. There's something else that sparkles in Nevada, though. Nevada is one of the world's biggest exporters of gold.
Oklahoma
New Mexico
Arizona

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Nebraska If you were trying to find the Cornhuskers' football stadium, which state would you need to locate on a map?
California
Massachusettes
Nebraska
"Oh yeah!" After you finish watching a game at the NebraskaCornhuskers' Memorial Stadium, point your car toward the Kool-Aid Museum in Hastings. In 1927, Edwin Perkins invented a concentrated drink called Fruit Smack. Once it was reduced to powder, Kool-Aid was born!
South Dakota

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Louisiana Can you figure out which one of these states was NOT part of the original 13 colonies?
New York
Rhode Island
Louisiana
Louisiana's history is quite different from the original 13 colonies. Louisiana became a state in 1812 after being purchased by the United States in 1803's aptly named Louisiana Purchase.
New Hampshire

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Liberty Bell at Independence Hall Where would you have to travel to see the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall?
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
If you wanted to see the Liberty Bell or have one of the country's best cheesesteaks, you would head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The state is also home to Forbes Field, the first baseball field in the United States. It was built in Pittsburgh in 1909.
Virginia
Maine

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New Hampshire Out of these New England states, which one has the motto that goes, "Live free or die"?
New Hampshire
They've lived by their state motto for a long time in New Hampshire! Six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed, New Hampshire independently declared freedom from England.
Vermont
Rhode Island
Connecticut

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The Alamo Which state is home to both the Alamo and the Live Music Capital of the World?
Mississippi
Nebraska
North Carolina
Texas
You can find The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, and the Live Music Capital of the World in Austin. And you can travel fast between the two cities. The speed limit on the highway running between them is 85 miles per hour!

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Mississippi This state's name is sometimes used to fill the space while counting seconds. What is it?
Connecticut
Wisconsin
Mississippi
You can thank Mississippi for the invention of the phrase "teddy bear." President Theodore Roosevelt once refused to kill a bear there, and a political cartoon led to the name. You can also use the state's name to count time by saying, "One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi ..."
Arkansas

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Arkansas The largest diamonds found in North America were found in which state with the nickname of The Natural State?
Arkansas
In 1924, a man who was diamond mining near Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas stumbled across a 40.23-carat diamond worth $880,000 in today's money. You can head to the park and see it for yourself! It's called Uncle Sam, and it's still on display there.
Oregon
Michigan
Kentucky

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Minnesota What's the name of the state that's home to the largest shopping mall in the U.S. — the Mall of America?
Hawaii
Minnesota
Minnesota calls itself the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but there are closer to 15,000 throughout the state. It's also home to the most Fortune 500 companies. Companies like Target, Best Buy and General Mills call the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul home.
New Jersey
Vermont

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Vermont Which Northern state is home to Ben & Jerry's, maple syrup and cuddly teddy bears?
Vermont
For such a small state, Vermont has a huge appeal. The capital city of Montpelier has fewer than 9,000 people, and you won't find a McDonald's there. It's perfect for those who want to get away and enjoy life's finer things.
Maine
New Hampshire
Maryland

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Boston, Massachusetts You can thank one of this state's towns for Fig Newtons! What state are we talking about?
Tennessee
Nevada
Iowa
Massachusetts
Taking a trip to Massachusetts is visiting a gateway to America's past. Boston — the largest city in New England — is the birthplace of the American Revolution. You can travel a trail through the city that marks Paul Revere's midnight ride.

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Baltimore, Maryland If you were visiting the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, which state would you be in?
Georgia
Maryland
Maryland is famous for its fresh blue crabs, but the state's nickname best reflects it. Called "Little America," Maryland is home to nearly all types of terrains found in the United States.
Florida
California

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Hawaii volcanos Including Mauna Loa and Kilauea, what U.S. state has the most active volcanoes of them all?
Hawaii
In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state. From jungles to volcanoes, there's plenty to love about it. If you want to live there, you'll have to learn to love SPAM. Every year, over 7 million cans of it are eaten in Hawaii. That's nearly six cans for each of its residents!
Washington
Alaska
Oregon

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Maine Which of these U.S. states is famous for its world-class lobster?
Maryland
Utah
Maine
There are two things that visitors love about Maine — the lobster and the moose hunting. Every year, the Pine Tree State exports over 1 million lobsters, and it is home to more than 70,000 moose.
Louisiana

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Kansas City Kansas City is the largest city in what U.S. state where you can find the Gateway Arch?
Kansas
Oklahoma
Missouri
Although Missouri was part of 1803's Louisiana Purchase, it didn't become a state until 1821. Known as the Show Me State, Missouri is home to the country's only restaurant in a cave and the tallest man-made arch in the world — the Gateway Arch.
Iowa

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Iowa Can you correctly identify the Hawkeye State that's 92% farmland?
Illinois
Iowa
Iowa might be one of the biggest crop producers in the United States, and that might conjure up images of endless fields. However, Iowa is the only state in the U.S. to be surrounded by rivers on both its eastern and western borders.
Montana
Rhode Island

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Rhode Island At only 1,212 square miles, it's the smallest U.S. state. What's it called?
Rhode Island
The American Revolution might have started in Massachusetts, but Rhode Island was the first one to strike. They sunk one of England's ships off the coast of Narragansett Bay before the "shot heard round the world" was ever fired.
Connecticut
Hawaii
Utah

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Idaho What U.S. state is famous for its potatoes?
North Carolina
North Dakota
Idaho
It's true! There are a lot of potatoes in Idaho. The state exports more spuds than any other, but there's also a lot of gemstones there. You can mine 70 different varieties within the state's borders.
Virginia

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Hells Canyon Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in the United States, is located in which of these states?
West Virginia
Colorado
New Mexico
Oregon
Oregon has beautiful cities, like Portland, but you can also find nearly any sort of outdoor adventure in the state. True thrill-seekers love scaling Hells Canyon. At 7,993 feet down, it's America's deepest river gorge.

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New Mexico Where would you be if you were trying to see the Roswell aliens?
New Mexico
You probably won't see any aliens in New Mexico, but you can see the oldest capital city in the United States. Santa Fe was founded in 1610 by European settlers staking their claim.
Nevada
Washington
New Jersey

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Ann Arbor Just outside of Ann Arbor, you can see mastodon tracks in this state. What state is it?
Michigan
If you were trying to find Michigan on a map, you would look for the state that's shaped like a mitten.
Minnesota
South Dakota
Montana

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Mt. Rushmore Where would you need to go to see Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial?
Arkansas
South Dakota
South Dakota is a beautiful state, and you can visit these famous monuments in the Black Hills region. Make sure to check the weather before you go, though. At 38 inches of snowfall every year, the state gets 10 more inches per year than the national average.
Texas
Utah

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Nashville, TN Do you know which state is home to the music giants of Nashville and Memphis?
Idaho
South Carolina
Tennessee
It's hard to pass through the Volunteer State without driving on Music Highway. In 1997, the Tennessee legislature voted to give the name to the section of Interstate 40 that runs between these two towns.
Maine

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Atlantic City You can swim or gamble in this state's Atlantic City. Which state do we mean?
New Jersey
When you need a break from Atlantic City's casinos and swimming in the ocean, you can replenish yourself in one of the state's 525 diners. New Jersey is known as the "Diner Capital of the World."
California
Georgia
New York

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San Francisco Which of these Pacific states has the country's largest population?
Oregon
California
Approximately one in eight Americans are from the great state of California. They will have a thing or two to tell you about the 500,000 recordable instances of seismic activity that occur in the Grizzly Bear State every year!
Washington
Alaska

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Raleigh, NC What U.S. state is home to the cities of Raleigh, Charlotte and Durham?
North Carolina
North Carolina has a long history related to aviation. On the Outer Banks, you'll find a town named Kill Devil Hills. It's where Orrville and Wilbur Wright became the first men to take flight.
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut

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Florida Disney World is a popular attraction in the peninsula state named what?
California
Colorado
Florida
You can spend time on any of Florida's sprawling beaches, or you can find the fountain of youth. No, really! Nestled within the city of St. Augustine, you can visit Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archeological Park. It's a nod to the explorer who discovered Florida while looking for eternal life.
Iowa

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South Carolina What's the name of the state that wasn't originally called The Palmetto State?
Florida
New York
Maryland
South Carolina
Until the 1930s, South Carolina was called the Iodine State. Although the palmetto tree was added to the state flag in 1861, the current nickname wasn't adopted until much later.

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