Which state is abbreviated mi

October, The United States is comprised of fifty states and a national capital district, as well as a number of territories and possessions around the world. Because their names are commonly used and some of them are fairly long, they are often abbreviated in written documents and on mailing addresses.

States, Districts, Territories, and Possessions, along with their standard and postal service abbreviations and their state capitals. Each State name contains a link to its official state government website. Each row of the State table also includes access to a state map.

Each District, Territory, or Possession name contains a link to its official government or tourism website. To find state locations, view the state abbreviations map , which shows the lower 48 states plus Alaska and Hawaii, as well as their two-letter postal abbreviations. Download the map and you can write in the abbreviation on each state and then click on the checkmark to see if you're correct.

Print the map for a handy reference sheet. The United States has several territories outside of the 50 states in the union. These territories may not be official states, but they still adhere to the same formula of two capital letters for their official abbreviations.

These USPS postal abbreviations haven't been around forever. In fact, they've only existed since , just four years after the 50th state Hawaii was added to the union. However, on July 1, , the Post Office Department began using five-digit zip codes.

The addressing equipment at most post offices only allowed 23 characters, so they needed to shorten the state abbreviations in order to fit the zip codes. That's where the two-digit USPS state abbreviations began. If you're writing a letter or sending anything else through the mail, you should use the USPS state abbreviation. If the situation isn't listed here, you should use the entire capitalized state name.

One example is when you're writing about a state in running text, such as "I went to Wyoming over the summer. Why is the abbreviation for Missouri MO when the word starts with "Mi? Most state abbreviations follow a pattern for shortening state names. However, there are a few states that break the rules or are especially confusing.

Some of these states of confusion include:. When all else fails, come up with a memorable mnemonic to help you think of the correct codes. For example, Hawaiians are so friendly that they always say "HI! The United States is a fascinating and diverse country, with each state very different from the next. Take a tour around the different regions of the U. Learning more about the United States of America can bring a new appreciation for the great democratic experiment.

Expand your knowledge with these famous American symbols and their histories. Finally, if you're writing about the U. All rights reserved. US map of state abbreviations. Arkansas AR Ark. California CA Calif.

Colorado CO Colo. Connecticut CT Conn. Delaware DE Del. Florida FL Fla. Georgia GA Ga. Indiana IN Ind. When writing for text or in references, traditional abbreviations are used.

The names of states should be always spelled out when they are written in sentences. Traditional abbreviations were used before the two-letter postal codes became standard. The abbreviations are sometimes still used in note taking and text writing.