Can You Pass This Incredibly Difficult U.S. State Quiz?
by Carolyn Fleming
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Sure, you know that the United States is made up of 50 states, with Alaska and Hawaii being the two newest and the only non-contiguous states. But does your knowledge run much deeper? Are you familiar with the quirky landmarks, symbols, and traditions that make each state unique? Take this quiz to test your knowledge and learn a few new facts.
1: To see Fort Knox, which state would you need to visit?
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To see Fort Knox, where the United States Bullion Depository is located, you’d need to visit Kentucky. Don’t pack your bags just yet, though—the facility does not allow visitors. Also, no one person knows all of the procedures required to open the vault. Fort Knox reportedly holds about 147.3 million ounces of gold.
2: Only one state has an official state meal. Care to guess which one?
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That’s right—only Oklahoma is OK with endorsing a whole state meal. We hope you’re hungry, because the meal consists of chicken-fried steak, barbecue pork, fried okra, squash, cornbread, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, and black-eyed peas ... . And we hope you saved room for dessert, which includes pecan pie and strawberries.
3: Quick—which is the only state with a one-syllable name?
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The name “Maine” is just one syllable. Maine is the only state that borders only one other state—New Hampshire. However, Maine borders two Canadian provinces—Quebec and New Brunswick.
4: Which state has a pelican on its state seal and flag?
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The white pelican on the state seal and flag, in particular, a pelican tearing flesh from its body to feed its young, comes from Catholic imagery of self-sacrifice. The Louisiana state motto is “Union, Justice, Confidence.”
5: Can you guess which state is home to a large sculpture called Carhenge?
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Alliance, Nebraska, will never be mistaken for Wiltshire, England, but both places can claim a henge. Wiltshire has the famous Stonehenge, but Alliance has the Carhenge, which is a replica of Stonehenge made out of 38 old cars, painted in a flat gray. It’s more impressive than you might imagine.
6: Which state’s name is partly inspired by the French name for a color?
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In French, “montagne verte” means “green mountain.” Even today, Vermont’s nickname is the Green Mountain State. Camel’s Hump Mountain, one of the highest in Vermont, used to be called Saddle Mountain or Resting Lion.
7: Can you tell us which state is the Buckeye State?
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The buckeye tree is native to Ohio. Its nutlike seed is mostly shiny brown with a pale spot, and it resembles the eye of a deer. Buckeyes are somewhat poisonous, so it’s best to admire them from afar.
8: Which state’s name means “colored red”?
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While the Spanish word “rojo” means “red,” “Colorado” means “colored red.” Spanish explorers named the Colorado River for the red sandstone that colored the water. If you grew up with Clifford the Big Red Dog, consider looking for the Spanish version: Clifford el gran perro colorado.
9: Can you name the state where you would find both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States?
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California can claim both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous U.S., and they’re only about 135 miles apart! Mt. Whitney tops out at 14,494 feet above sea level, and Death Valley drops to 282 feet below sea level. If you successfully race between the two locations within 48 hours during the Badwater 135 ultramarathon, you’ll win a T-shirt and a belt buckle.
10: Do you know which state was almost called Kanawha or Bandalia?
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West Virginia separated from Virginia in 1861, after Virginia seceded from the Union during the Civil War. The names Kanawha or Vandalia were considered for the new state, but ultimately the citizens chose West Virginia. John Denver’s famous lyric in the song Take Me Home, Country Roads could have been “Almost heaven, Kanawha.”
11: Which state has designated the pumpkin as its state fruit?
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The residents of New Hampshire honor the pumpkin as their state fruit, and they also enjoy carving them into artistic jack-o’-lanterns. They set a record for the most lit jack-o’-lanterns in 2013, with 30,581. We imagine everyone was eating roasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pies for weeks after that.
12: To preserve the natural beauty of their landscapes, which four states have banned billboards?
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As part of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, the federal government tracks the number of billboards in each state. Four states have banned all billboards: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Vermont. At the other extreme, Florida leads the nation with more than 11,000 billboards available for your advertising needs.
13: Can you name the state with the fewest residents?
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Wyoming is the least populated state, even though it is the 10th largest by area. The next four states, ranked by low population, are Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The five states with the most people are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.
14: Which state has the most lakes?
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Minnesota is famously known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and it actually has more than 11,000, but it definitely does not have more lakes than any other state. Alaska has over 3 million natural lakes for your fishing and recreational pleasure.
15: Do you know which state has the country’s tallest human-made monument?
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The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, is the tallest human-made monument in the U.S., at 630 feet. When you visit, be sure to ride the tram to the top. Luckily, the Gateway Arch is silvery, so no fast-food giant has tried to claim it for their own use.
16: Can you guess which state chose Yankee Doodle as its official state song?
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Yankee Doodle was first sung by British troops during the Revolutionary War to poke fun at American colonists and their silly fashion sense, sticking feathers in their hats and so on. Over time, U.S. troops appropriated the song, and it eventually became a patriotic tune that all American children know.
17: One state grows 60% of the red raspberries in the U.S. Can you name it?
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Washington State has mastered the art of growing red raspberries. Most are flash-frozen for use in a variety of products and recipes. Evidently, people who enjoy consuming the agricultural products of Washington are called Washivores.
18: Which state has justifiably laid claim to the 321 area code?
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Starting in 1999, in Brevard County, Florida, newly assigned phone numbers included a 321 area code, in honor of the Space Coast and the Kennedy Space Center. Now residents can initiate a countdown sequence every time they make a call.
19: Quick—which letter of the alphabet is not used to spell any state name?
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If you run through a list of state names in your head, you won’t find any that include a Q. Z appears in Arizona, J appears in New Jersey, and X appears in both New Mexico and Texas.
20: Do you know which state was the first to require license plates on cars?
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New York was the first state in the U.S. to require license plates on cars, starting way back in 1901. However, the state did not issue plates until 1903. In the interim, drivers had to craft their own license plates at home—imagine that!
