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US Geography
regions
The United States is often divided up into geographical regions. Using these regions can help to describe a larger area and also helps to group together states that are similar in features such as geography, culture, history, and climate.
While there are some official government regions, such as those used by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Standard Federal Regions, most people use five major regions when dividing up the states. They are the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West.
Because these aren't officially defined regions, some border states may appear in different regions depending on the document or map you are looking at. For example, sometimes Maryland is considered part of the Southeast, but we include it in the Northeast on our map.
Major Regions
Northeast
- States included: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland
- Climate: Humid continental climate with cool summers in the northernmost areas. Snow falls during the winter as the temperatures are regularly below freezing.
- Major geographical features: Appalachian Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes, borders on Canada to the north
Southeast
- States included: West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida
- Climate: Humid subtropical climate with hot summers. Hurricanes can reach landfall in the summer and fall months along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
- Major geographical features: Appalachian Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River
Midwest
- States included: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
- Climate: Humid continental climate throughout most of the region. Snow is common during the winter, especially in the northern areas.
- Major geographical features: Great Lakes, Great Plains, Mississippi River, borders Canada to the north
Southwest
- States included: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona
- Climate: Semiarid Steppe climate in the western area with a more humid climate to the east. Some of the far western areas of the region have an alpine or desert climate.
- Major geographical features: Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, Grand Canyon, Gulf of Mexico, borders Mexico to the south
West
- States included: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, California, Alaska, Hawaii
- Climate: A range of climates including semiarid and alpine along the Rocky and Sierra Mountains. The coastline in California is a Mediterranean climate. Desert climates can be found in Nevada and Southern California.
- Major geographical features: Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mohave Desert, Pacific Ocean, borders Canada to the North and Mexico to the south
Other Regions
Here are some other sub-regions that are often referred to:
- Mid-Atlantic - Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey
- Central Plains - Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska
- Great Lakes - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan
- New England - Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
- Pacific Northwest - Washington, Oregon, Idaho
- Rocky Mountains - Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana
More on US geographical features:
Regions of the United States
US Rivers
US Lakes
US Mountain Ranges
US Deserts
Geography >> US Geography >> US State History
