Can You Crush This US General Geography Knowledge Quiz?


Jouviane Alexandre

6 Min Quiz

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About This Quiz

We guarantee that you're in for a wild ride through this nation's geographic wonders.

The United States has the distinction of being the world's third-largest nation. The U.S. has 50 states, but, geographically speaking, we divide them into the 48 contiguous states, plus Alaska and Hawaii (which just so happen to be the last two to achieve statehood.)

But, we digress...

The United States boasts a host of interesting geography that includes countless lakes, mountains, volcanoes (both active and dormant) and more.  Think of all the exciting places you can visit! The lowest point in the United States is in Death Valley in California, and the highest point is Denali on Mount McKinley in Alaska. The continental U.S. is bordered by Canada and Mexico, but  we assume you knew that. But do you know how many states border Tennessee?

Unless you were the winner of your school's geography bee, we doubt you'll score 100% on the quiz, but we'd love to be proven wrong! Take this quiz and show us how brilliant you are!

Which of these rivers runs at the border of Texas and Mexico?

The Rio Grande begins in Colorado and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Directly between part of Mexico and Texas, it forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico.


What is the name of the major mountain range in the eastern United States?

The Appalachian Mountains span 1,500 miles in eastern North America. This mountain range begins in Canada and runs south into Georgia and Alabama.


What is the name of the major park in Manhattan, NYC?

Central Park is the most visited public park in the US, with 40 million visitors a year. The park has its own police precinct.


The Great Lakes are: Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake _______.

Lake Michigan lies between the four states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The acronym commonly used to remember the five Great Lakes is HOMES.


Which state has the capital Trenton, is known for its popular Boardwalk and is nicknamed the Garden State?

New Jersey is the third official state of the United States. Although it is the fourth smallest, it is the most densely populated state, with close to nine million people.


Which of these cities is the capital of Texas?

Austin is the capital of Texas, and the 11th most populated city in the entire country. Humans have lived in the region since the late Pleistocene.


Which of these states borders Kansas?

Kansas is bordered by Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado. Topeka is the capital of Kansas, though not its largest city.


In which state will you find Mount Rushmore?

South Dakota boasts Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota. The landmark has the face of four past presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.


Which state has the capital Salem and is home to Crater Lake National Park?

Oregon is located in the Pacific Northwest and borders Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California. Crater Lake, which is a volcanic caldera, is the deepest lake in the country.


Which of these combinations is the proper state and capital pairing?

Hartford, Connecticut, is the only proper capital matched with its state in this list. The capitals of California, Nevada and Florida are Sacramento, Carson City and Tallahassee, respectively.


What is the tallest mountain in the United States?

Although we kept the traditional name, Mount McKinley, for this quiz, the official name of the mountain has been changed to Denali. The highest point is over 20,000 feet.


What is the correct order, from the most populated to the least, for these four states?

California has the largest population in total, but New York has the city with the largest population, even though the total population of the state is smaller.


How many U.S. states border Mexico?

Mexico is bordered by four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The countries of Guatemala and Belize also border Mexico.


From smallest to largest, what is the correct order of these four states?

Although it is thought to be small, Hawaii has the most land area out of these four states. Remember, it has 137 total islands. It's just that most are too small to be habitable. Rhode Island is the smallest state with 1,214 square miles.


Raleigh is the capital of what state?

Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina. It was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, the explorer who is known for establishing the Roanoke Colony (also known as the Lost Colony.)


In which state will you find the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon encompasses a length of 277 miles and was formed by the Colorado River. The entire canyon lies in Northern Arizona and is thought to be over five million years old.


The Rocky Mountains aren't found in which of these states?

The Rocky Mountains are 3,000 miles long, beginning in western Canada and spanning all the way south into northern New Mexico. The range's highest peak is over 14,000 feet.


Which of these states was one of the 13 original colonies?

New Hampshire is the only state listed above that was a part of the original 13 colonies. The others were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island.


What is the largest lake in the United States?

Lake Superior is the largest lake in the United States, at 31,700 square miles of surface area. It is followed by the other Great Lakes: Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario.


How many U.S. states border Canada?

There are 13 states that are considered to share a geographical border (land and water) with Canada. Some of the more obvious ones are Alaska, Maine, Washington, Montana and New York.


Which of these states DOES NOT border Canada?

Wisconsin is the only state listed that doesn't share a geographic border with Canada. Minnesota shares a land border with Canada, while Ohio and Pennsylvania share a water border with the country through Lake Erie.


Which state has the southernmost point in the continental United States?

The southernmost point in the continental United States is Key West, Florida. The southernmost state in the entire United States would be Hawaii, which is south of the Tropic of Cancer. This is on a similar latitude to the Caribbean countries south of Florida, such as Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.


Which state doesn't border the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi river rises in Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It passes through Minnesota and borders states like Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. It is the largest river in the country.


What is the last state that the Mississippi River passes through before it empties into the Gulf of Mexico?

Although named after the state of Mississippi, the river runs along the whole western border of the state before continuing into Louisiana and emptying at the Mississippi River Delta.


In what state will you find Yellowstone National Park?

Yellowstone National Park is mostly located in northwestern Wyoming, but the park site also spans slightly into Idaho and Montana. It was the world's first national park.


Which of the states listed below is the northernmost?

Although Washington is the northernmost of the listed states, Alaska is the northernmost state in the entire country. Alaska also has more miles of coastline than every other U.S. state combined.


If it is 1:00 a.m. in Colorado, what time would it be in California, Missouri and New Jersey, respectively?

If it is 1:00 a.m. in Colorado, the time in California would be one hour behind; midnight (or 12:00 a.m.) The time zones for the continental U.S. from west to east are Pacific Time, Mountain Time, Central Time and Eastern Time.


What is the longest river in the United States?

The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States. It begins in western Montana and continues into the Mississippi River. The Missouri River runs for 2,341 miles, while the Mississippi River is just behind it, at 2,320.


The three largest cities in this state start with "C":

The three largest cities in Ohio are Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The largest of them all, the capital, is Columbus.


Which state is nicknamed, "The First State?"

Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, is nicknamed, "The First State." It is also the second smallest state, after Rhode Island.


Which of the following is not one of the five boroughs of New York City?

Although Westchester is a county of New York, the five boroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.


If I am travelling south from North Dakota to Texas, what are the four states I will travel through, in order?

When travelling from north to south, the states down the center of the continental United States are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.


How many U.S. states border the Pacific Ocean?

There are five states that border the Pacific Ocean. The continental states are Washington, Oregon and California, while the last two are Alaska and Hawaii.


Which of these four states has the most bordering states?

Tennessee and Missouri tie with the most shared state borders; There are eight. Tennessee shares a border with Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.


How many states have a cardinal direction as a part of their name?

There are five states in the U.S. with cardinal directions as part of their name: North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia.


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