# How many North American states/provinces have you been to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 3, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919 "2007-09-03T17:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/41 "2007-09-04T15:25:07Z")
In no particular order: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Twenty so far, although I’ll admit New Mexico and Arizona were drive-through states. I’ve only lived in Georgia (ick), and haven’t been to Canada or Mexico. Ask me about Singapore or Switzerland, though! ---
**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:** [September 4, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/42 "2007-09-04T18:10:07Z")
I guess I’ve been to the majority of states and provinces. Born and raised in Ohio; lived here most of my life. Also been to Vermont (many times - wife’s home state), Penna. (went to high school there; later visits to friends), Washington State (brief stopover in Seattle), Alaska (cruise on the Inside Passage, and some shore visits), Hawaii (a memorable post-college vacation trip), New Jersey (visiting Princeton; worked there on Dukakis '88 presidential campaign), Michigan (campaign work), Conn. (visiting friends there), Mass. (campaign again), Maine (family visits, incl. a wedding), Oregon and Utah (both for white-water rafting), California (childhood vacation; later seminar in San Francisco), Louisiana (childhood visit; seminar in NOLA), Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Tenn. (visiting Civil War battlefields), North Carolina (frequent summer vacations on the Outer Banks), South Carolina (family visits), New Hampshire (Dukakis campaign, and visting a friend’s house on Lake Winipesaukee), Georgia (campaign), Wisconsin and New Mexico (Scout camping trips), Illinois (stopover at O’Hare), Florida, New York, Indiana and Minn. (all for vacations), Texas and Oklahoma (just passing through), and Washington, D.C. (two congressional internships, the '93 Clinton inaugural and some vacations). In Canada: From Ontario all the way west to British Columbia, not far from the U.S. border, on vacations. Other foreign countries: Bahamas, Great Britain, France. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/43 "2007-09-04T18:10:20Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] That’s pretty impressive. How did an Englishperson like yourself pull that off? I doubt that I ever will and I travel a lot. I have been to Rhode Island though so I guess I am superior in a tiny way. [/QUOTE] You are indeed! In reality, I bear no ill will towards Rhode Island. I just never made it there, despite living in the state next door and doing a two-week road trip in New England. I managed to visit “everywhere” because I’ve been to the US about 20 times over the past thirty-five years, have indulged in several multiple-week road trips, and have lived a total of three and a half years in various locations in the country. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/44 "2007-09-04T18:25:52Z")
I’ve applied the standard that an airport layover counts, but that adds only 2 states. I’m not counting airspace in motion as being there. Bolded states are ones where I’ve had an address. My total is 28 US states, 1 Mexico, and 1 Canadian province. Alabama California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Illinois **Indiana** Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts **Michigan** Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nevada New York **North Carolina** Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas **Virginia** West Virginia Wisconsin Canada: Ontario Mexico: Baja California ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/45 "2007-09-04T18:27:41Z")
I live in Ontario. I’ve been to BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba (if you count landing at the Winnipeg airport on the way back from BC), Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI. I have never been to Newfoundland, though I would like to go. I have also never been to any of the territories. In the US, I’ve been to or through California, Virginia, DC, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware (I think–not too sure of that, it may have been a figment of my imagination–we drove down the peninsula to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel), New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island (we didn’t stop), Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota (or as I refer to it, “South Saskatchewan”). I’ve never been to any US territory. I’ve never been to Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/46 "2007-09-04T19:55:04Z")
Forgot that I’ve also been in New York. Only for a stopover from LAX to Tel Aviv and back, but I ended up spending at least 12 hours total in and around JFK, so it counts. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/47 "2007-09-04T22:21:12Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Mexico: I went to whatever state Puerto Vallarta is in. [/QUOTE] [Jalisco.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Vallarta) **Frank** : Ciudad Juárez is in [Chihuahua,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Juarez) while Tijuana is [Baja California’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuana) largest city. I’ve never been to Mexico, but have visited the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Among the 33 states I’ve spent time in, I’ve lived in Ohio and Indiana, and also attended college in Virginia. Yet to be checked off my list (I have been to the District of Columbia) are the following: Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Hawaii Idaho (though I may have crossed into it during a family trip to Yellowstone – I never saw a state boundary sign, but the road markings changed for a short time) Kansas Louisiana Mississippi Nevada New Mexico Oklahoma Oregon Texas Utah Washington I can also lay claim to the Cuban provinces of Ciudad de la Habana, Havana, Matanzas, and Cienfuegos. Had the original itinerary for the trip not been changed by the tour packager, I’d have added the other provinces on the route from (the city of) Havana to (the city and province of) [Santiago de Cuba.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Cuba) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/48 "2007-09-04T22:27:24Z")
Been to all U.S. States except for Florida, Alaska and Hawaii. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/49 "2007-09-04T22:42:49Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] Been to all U.S. States except for Florida, Alaska and Hawaii. [/QUOTE] Those are the ones without any attractions or touristy stuff so I can understand why you might take a pass. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/50 "2007-09-04T23:11:29Z")
Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, Hawaii. (30) Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Mexico DF, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua. (12) British Columbia, Ontario (2) Lived in California. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/51 "2007-09-05T00:31:18Z")
U.S.: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana. Canada: Ontario Mexico: Aguascalientes, México, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Guerrero, DF, Michoacán, Morelos, Hidalgo, Puebla, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Coahuila I think that’s it. GT ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/52 "2007-09-05T00:40:41Z")
Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming. So far, I have not left the United States. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/53 "2007-09-05T03:05:06Z")
I don’t count airport layovers, driving through the province/state purely to get to somewhere else, or visits before I was old enough to remember. \* is somewhere I lived. Canadian provinces: BC, Alberta, Manitoba\*, Ontario, Quebec\*, New Brunswick\*, Nova Scotia. US states: California, Oregon, Nevada, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington DC, North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/54 "2007-09-05T06:13:47Z")
US: Every state except Alaska and Hawaii. My parents traveled a lot, then I drove trucks for a living, then I drove cars for a living. The last states I visited to make 48 were Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. I’ve lived in Kansas, Missouri and Illinios. Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba. Mexico: Just over the border at El Paso with my parents when I was a kid. England (twice): London, Rochester, Cambridge. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/55 "2007-09-05T12:10:47Z")
I’ve only been to North America once, taking in: US: only CA and FL (via Mexico in between) Canada: Just BC (Vancouver and Whistler) Mexico: DF, Mexico, Oaxaca, and presumably driven though Morelos and Puebla. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/56 "2007-09-05T16:25:29Z")
States+District: NY, OH, NJ, PA, FL, NV, TX, GA, SC, VA, DC, CA, MA, MD, CT, RI, DE, IL, NH, ME, WV, TN, WA, VT Provinces: NL, ON, QC/PQ ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/57 "2007-09-05T16:46:41Z")
I’ve been to: - New York, \*\*New York State \*\* (visiting relatives in Canada; decided to make a flying visit) - Chicago + Milwaukee, **Illinois** (for GenCon 🆒 ) - Las Vegas, **Nevada** (including Dopefest 😃 ) I’ve played chess in: - England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey + Guernsey - France - Germany - Holland - Belgium - Italy - Switzerland - Lichtenstein - Norway - Denmark - Hungary - Russia - Czechoslavakia (as was) - Slovenia - Serbia - Croatia - Bulgaria - Australia ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/58 "2007-09-10T02:53:19Z")
Let’s see. In the USA, I have been to: ``` * Alabama * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * District of Columbia * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Illinois * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maryland * Massachusetts * Mississippi * Missouri * Nebraska * Nevada * New Jersey * New Mexico * New York * Oklahoma * Pennsylvania * Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Washington ``` ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/59 "2007-09-10T03:48:55Z")
New York New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey Maryland West Virginia Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Washington DC Pennsylvania Delaware Kentucky Tennessee Georgia Florida Mississippi Alabama Texas Louisiana New Mexico Arizona California Washington State Utah Nevada Wyoming Colorado Nebraska Iowa Kansas Illinios Indiana Ohio Michigan Missouri Arkansas Minnesota Wisconsin Hawaii=42 in all. I need the Dakotas, Oklahoma, Montana, Maine, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska. Provinces: BC Quebec Ontario “Foreign Countries” (not that you asked): Canada Puerto Rico UK France Netherlands Germany (including East Germany prior to fall of Berlin Wall) Austria Luxenbourg Barbados Martinique St. Thomas St. Martin-both sides ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919/60 "2007-09-10T03:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I’ve been to: - New York, \*\*New York State \*\* (visiting relatives in Canada; decided to make a flying visit) - Chicago + Milwaukee, **Illinois** (for GenCon 🆒 ) - Las Vegas, **Nevada** (including Dopefest 😃 ) [/QUOTE] I think you mean Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s fairly close to Illinois. (some folks even commute from Milwaukee to Chicago). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-north-american-states-provinces-have-you-been-to/417919.md?page=4)