# Can you name all 50 U.S. states in ten minutes or less? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984 "2011-07-06T02:50:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/101 "2011-07-07T20:15:46Z")
> [@crewface](#): > > Unless u r a travel agent or map maker, why take up space in ur head? If want to go to a state, get a map, find one with a pretty name, WRITE IT DOWN, and now u r good to go. Ok, smarties, now tell me the names of all government workers in all 50 states and Washington DC. I think there are about 22,000,000. When the number of gov. workers equals the population, we will no longer be serfs but self employed. There was a Japanese businessman that recited the value of pi (3.141…) to 100,000 digits. Beat that in 14 hours. Boy, you are just a spunky little pup! This rant seems mild compared to your other off-topic rants in MPSIMS and IMHO, but perhaps continuing to hang out in Great Debates would suit you better, at least there people have the energy to respond in kind. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/102 "2011-07-07T20:18:17Z")
I drew a blank for about a minute before i came up with Arkansas the last one. made it with 30 seconds or so to spare. Delaware took time too. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/103 "2011-07-07T21:44:06Z")
Dang, 3:28. Woulda been almost a whole minute faster if I hadn’t overlooked New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/104 "2011-07-07T23:14:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > So close. I didn’t even realize that was the fastest time up until your post. Of course, now somebody is going to blow us away by 20 seconds. I blew you away by twelve seconds in post six - I think I’m still winning with 1:27.😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/105 "2011-07-07T23:30:45Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Me, foreigner that I am, I always remember Maryland because of the trivia fact I leaned (from the World Book Encyclopaedia, remember those?) that their State Sport is Jousting. How cool is that state? Jousting! I always recall Maryland 'cos The Wire is set there but also because it’s almost universally mispronounced on this side of the water. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/106 "2011-07-07T23:56:03Z")
Everything but Wyoming and Kansas with 4:40 remaining before I threw up my hands in frustration. Having a map to look at was pretty helpful, but seeing those last two states’ outline stare at me was annoying. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/107 "2011-07-08T00:09:19Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > …How about the four commonwealths? That would slow some of you down. Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia… not to mention Puerto Rico, but that’s different. ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/108 "2011-07-08T00:21:45Z")
40/50. I did them all in 5 minutes and blanked out in the rest. I started in the pacific NW where I’ve been, and worked over to the east. I missed: Montana Utah Oklahoma Kansas Nebraska Minnesota Maryland Vermont Massachusetts Connecticut The Annoying ones were Maryland, Oklahoma and Connecticut, which I spent the remaining 5 minutes trying to spell, and mississippi which wasted about a minute of my time. I think I need one that accepts close enough misspellings :smack: ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/109 "2011-07-08T00:25:36Z")
I can Name that Tune in 2 minutes and 53 seconds. Bad typing keeps me from doing it quicker. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/110 "2011-07-08T00:32:22Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > I got 49 out of 50 in around 2 minutes, then stared very intently at the monitor. > > Several minutes later, I gave up and realized it was Maryland. I always blame my ignorance of New England on losing a study guide for a test back in 4th grade for that region. New England is Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Maryland is Southern, or Mid-Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![AntiCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a587f6/32.png) [@AntiCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntiCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/111 "2011-07-08T00:49:51Z")
I had 8 minutes and 2 seconds to spare. I’m surprised I could type that fast. If they let me use postal abbreviations I’d have blown it away 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/112 "2011-07-08T01:17:40Z")
3:56 left: got hung up on Utah and Wyoming. Oh, and Massachusetts needs to rename itself, and pronto. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/113 "2011-07-08T01:28:20Z")
Interesting. Many years ago a co-worker was astonished at the number of people who couldn’t name all fifty states. I wasn’t. I thought I’d be able to name 35 right off, 40 with a bit of work, and never get more than 45 on my best day. I was right. So, I started asking random people - usually friendly waitstaff - if they could name all fifty. Most scored about what I did. They only ones who could name all fifty knew them in alphabetical order, or learned some song in grammar school. (I learned the states in geographical order.) ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/114 "2011-07-08T01:36:39Z")
Got them all in 1 minute 55 seconds. > [@crewface](#): > > Unless u r a travel agent or map maker, why take up space in ur head? If want to go to a state, get a map, find one with a pretty name, WRITE IT DOWN, and now u r good to go. Ok, smarties, now tell me the names of all government workers in all 50 states and Washington DC. I think there are about 22,000,000. When the number of gov. workers equals the population, we will no longer be serfs but self employed. There was a Japanese businessman that recited the value of pi (3.141…) to 100,000 digits. Beat that in 14 hours. What is this I don’t even ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/115 "2011-07-08T01:42:27Z")
45 again, even looking at a map. (Although I really tried with Tennessee - could not spell it). I missed Minnesota, Nebraska, Maryland, and Kentucky. I’ve driven across every one of those states. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/116 "2011-07-08T02:41:03Z")
All you guys complaining about Massachusetts is getting old! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/117 "2011-07-08T05:09:27Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > I thought [this quiz](http://www.sporcle.com/games/states.php) would be a piece of cake. It was easy going at first, and some are pretty obvious. But as I filled more of the map in, I admit I started to blank out. I suppose if it had been an unlimited time quiz, I would have eventually gotten all of them, but in ten minutes I got 46 out of 50. For the last minute, I was racking my brain and not coming up with answers. > > The states I missed were… > > Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. > > How many can you come up with? Be honest! Got all 50 in 2:34. Mis-types probably cost me 15 seconds. ☹ Went west-east, starting with Hawaii/Alaska. The map helped - made it no contest, actually. Without a map it would have taken me 5 minutes - but I would have created a mental map in my head and done the same process. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/118 "2011-07-08T05:43:25Z")
> [@GilaB](#): > > I blew you away by twelve seconds in post six - I think I’m still winning with 1:27.😃 Just did it in 1:13! 100 wpm typing speed + extensive geographical trivia knowledge FTW. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/119 "2011-07-08T07:26:23Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia… not to mention Puerto Rico, but that’s different. I was only being inclusive for states, not territories. But was aware of Puerto Rico’s actual name. Totally off the subject, but the US Dollar is used as currency on the British Virgin Islands. Boy, that’s a bar bet to die for! ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984/120 "2011-07-08T14:53:04Z")
I got 43, missed, W.Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, N.Hampshire, Iowa, Vermont and N.Jersey. Also lost time having several attempts at spelling Mississsssssippi and that state in the N.E. well known for its Ivy League universities (where Boston is) But then again I’m only a Limey. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-name-all-50-u-s-states-in-ten-minutes-or-less/587984.md?page=7)