50 Question Challenge #6, The 50 States: answers and sources
Spoilers ahead! Play the video first. Here is every answer, the fun fact and the source we checked it against.
Scores: 0-19: Road tripper · 20-29: Map reader · 30-39: Cross-country pro · 40+: Fifty-state legend. Don't forget your Couch Wager. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@ahaville.com with the question number.
Level 1: Easy
- 1
Which state is known as the Golden State?
California The Gold Rush began there in 1848.
- 2
Which state is home to the Grand Canyon?
Arizona The canyon is about 277 river miles long.
- 3
Which state is known as the Empire State?
New York Washington took office there as president in 1789.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hall
- 4
Which state is home to the Kennedy Space Center?
Florida Apollo 11 launched from there in 1969.
- 5
In which state is the city of Nashville?
Tennessee Nashville is nicknamed Music City.
- 6
In which state is the city of Denver?
Colorado It sits one mile above sea level.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver
- 7
Which state's biggest city is Detroit?
Michigan Detroit is nicknamed the Motor City.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit
- 8
In which state is the city of Boston?
Massachusetts Boston Common is America's oldest city park.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Common
- 9
In which state is the city of New Orleans?
Louisiana It's known as the birthplace of jazz.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans
- 10
In which state is most of Yellowstone National Park?
Wyoming Small parts reach into Montana and Idaho.
Level 2: Nicknames
- 11
Which state is called the Bluegrass State?
Kentucky Bluegrass flower heads look blue when grown tall.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Poa_pratensis
- 12
Which state's nickname is the Show-Me State?
Missouri It's printed on many Missouri license plates.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Missouri
- 13
Which state is called the Evergreen State?
Washington It's named for its huge evergreen forests.
Source: leg.wa.gov/learn-and-participate/educational-resources/st...
- 14
Which state is known as the Land of Lincoln?
Illinois Lincoln lived in Springfield before the White House.
- 15
Which state is called the Hawkeye State?
Iowa Its capital is Des Moines.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa
- 16
Which state is nicknamed the Badger State?
Wisconsin The badger is its official state animal.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin
- 17
Which state is called the Keystone State?
Pennsylvania A keystone is the stone that locks an arch.
Source: pa.gov/guides/state-symbols
- 18
Which state is called the Granite State?
New Hampshire It's named for its many granite quarries.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire
- 19
Which state is called the Sooner State?
Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma's teams are the Sooners.
- 20
Which state is called the Treasure State?
Montana Named for its gold, silver and copper mines.
Level 3: Quick capitals
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
Level 4: Shapes
- 31
Which state is this?
California It's the third-largest state by area.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/California
- 32
- 33
- 34
Which state is this?
Minnesota A tiny piece, the Northwest Angle, pokes north.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota
- 35
Which state is this?
Illinois The Mississippi forms most of its western border.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois
- 36
Which state is this?
Maryland Chesapeake Bay almost cuts it in two.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland
- 37
- 38
Which state is this?
Missouri Like Tennessee, it borders eight states.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri
- 39
Which state is this?
Virginia Eight US presidents were born there.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia
- 40
Which state is this?
Georgia Atlanta is both its capital and biggest city.
Level 5: Impossible
- 41
Which state has the highest mountain peak in the US?
Alaska Its peak rises 20,310 feet.
- 42
How many states border Canada?
13 Alaska has the longest stretch of the border.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%E2%80%93United_States_border
- 43
Which state makes the most maple syrup?
Vermont It makes about half of all US maple syrup.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup
- 44
Which territory, now a state, first gave women the vote?
Wyoming It's nicknamed the Equality State.
Source: history.com/articles/the-state-where-women-voted-long-bef...
- 45
Which state has the highest state capital?
New Mexico Santa Fe sits about 7,200 feet up.
- 46
The Hoover Dam sits on the border of Arizona and which state?
Nevada It holds back Lake Mead.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam
- 47
Which state has the most counties?
Texas It has 254 of them.
- 48
Which is the smallest state capital by population?
Montpelier Vermont's capital has about 8,000 people.
- 49
In which state is the geographic center of the lower 48 states?
Kansas It's near the small town of Lebanon.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_center_of_the_United_States
- 50
Which state has the most national parks?
California It has nine of them.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_the_United_S...
The Big Aha stories
- Four states, one spot: In the American Southwest, four states touch at one single point. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. It's the only place in the country where four states meet. So visitors can put a hand or a foot in all four states at once. Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners · wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners_Monument
- The state that's farthest east and west: Alaska is the westernmost state. No surprise there. But its Aleutian Islands stretch so far west that some lie past the 180th meridian. That puts them in the Eastern Hemisphere, which makes Alaska the easternmost state as well! Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska · wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_points_of_the_United_States
Bonus question
How many US states start with the letter M? We reveal the answer in the pinned comment under the video.