Contiguous United States

The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. This term excludes two states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are not connected to the rest of the country. It also leaves out other offshore areas like American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The contiguous United States covers an area of 3,119,884.69 square miles (8,080,464.3 km²), with most of this being land. If it were its own country, it would be the fifth largest in the world by area. In 2020, about 328 million people lived in the contiguous United States, making up over 99 percent of the entire U.S. population.

Other terms

The term "conterminous U.S." means the same as "contiguous U.S." Both describe the 48 adjoining states that share land borders. Other names for these states can be confusing.

"Continental United States" usually means the same as the contiguous United States, but because Alaska is also part of North America, some definitions include it too. The term "mainland United States" refers only to land connected to North America's main landmass, so it does not include Hawaii or islands off the coast.

CONUS is a short way to say "continental United States" or the 48 contiguous states, used by groups like the U.S. Department of Defense. OCONUS means areas outside of the continental United States.

The phrase "lower 48" also refers to the contiguous United States, especially when talking about Alaska. Almost all of Hawaii lies south of the southern tip of Florida.

Terms used in the non-contiguous U.S. jurisdictions

Residents of Alaska, Hawaii, and other U.S. territories have special names for the contiguous United States because of where they live.

Alaska became a state on January 3, 1959. It is far northwest of North America, separated from the U.S. West Coast by British Columbia. Many Alaskans call the rest of the United States the Lower 48. Some may use the word Outside to mean any place not in Alaska.

Hawaii became a state on August 21, 1959. It is the southernmost U.S. state, located in the Pacific Ocean far from North America. People in Hawaii and other U.S. territories often say the Mainland or U.S. Mainland when they talk about the 48 connected states.

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean Sea. People born there are U.S. citizens and can move to the mainland United States. Those who live in the mainland but have family from Puerto Rico are called Stateside Puerto Rican.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is another U.S. territory near Puerto Rico. People there use the word stateside to talk about the mainland United States.

American Samoa is a U.S. territory in the South Pacific Ocean. People there call the contiguous United States the mainland United States or the states. They use the word palagi to describe people not from American Samoa.

Further information: Samoan Americans

Non-contiguous areas within the contiguous United States

See also: Canada–United States border § Practical exclaves of the United States

Some parts of the United States can only be reached by driving through Canada. These include Point Roberts, Washington, Elm Point, Minnesota, the Northwest Angle in Minnesota, a small area in North Dakota, and a spot near Lake Metigoshe in Bottineau County. Alburgh, Vermont is connected by bridges from Vermont and New York, while nearby Province Point can only be reached from Canada, though there are no roads there. Hyder, Alaska is part of Alaska but can only be reached by road through Canada.

List of contiguous U.S. states

The contiguous United States includes 48 connected states and the District of Columbia. These states are all joined together and are sometimes called the "lower 48." The two states not included are Alaska and Hawaii, which are far away from the rest of the country.

The 48 contiguous states are:

In addition, the District of Columbia is within the contiguous United States.

Other terms

Terms used in the non-contiguous U.S. jurisdictions

Non-contiguous areas within the contiguous United States

List of contiguous U.S. states

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