# How many U.S. states are in two pieces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610 "2009-11-15T00:40:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/1 "2009-11-15T00:40:56Z")
What I’m really asking is this: How many U.S. states are separated into two disconnected pieces by land that isn’t part of the state and/or a body of water other than a river. And let’s say islands don’t count as pieces. Until today, I would have said the only two were my current home of Michigan and my home state of Virginia. But I just learned that [Minnesota](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National-atlas-minnesota.png) also qualifies (note the northernmost tip). Are there any others? ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/2 "2009-11-15T00:47:05Z")
There’s a piece of [Kentucky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky_Bend) which isn’t attached to the main state. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/3 "2009-11-15T00:59:39Z")
[Point Roberts, Washington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Roberts,_Washington) and [Alburgh, Vermont](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alburgh,_Vermont). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/4 "2009-11-15T01:09:12Z")
The term you’re looking for is [exclave](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclave) - an area belonging to another territory with which it is not physically contiguous. Wikipedia has a [big list of them](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_enclaves_and_exclaves). ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/5 "2009-11-15T01:35:26Z")
I know you said islands don’t count, but Hawaii is all islands. ---
**Author:** ![Mike.V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Mike.V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike.V)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/6 "2009-11-15T02:20:08Z")
Although accessible by bridges, a chunk of [southeastern Rhode Island](http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/images/img_state_map_lg.jpg) is physically connected only to Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/7 "2009-11-15T02:35:47Z")
In addition to the eponymous island, on which Newport is located, Rhode Island has two mainland portions, separated by Mount Hope Bay and parts of Massachusetts. (The small eastern portion includes Tiverton and Little Compton, where some of my ancestors are from.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/8 "2009-11-15T04:12:52Z")
[Kaskaskia](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/157/sucker-bets-101-illinois-lies-east-of-the-mississippi) in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/9 "2009-11-15T04:24:53Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > How many U.S. states are separated into two disconnected pieces by land that isn’t part of the state and/or a body of water **other than a river**. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Kaskaskia](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/157/sucker-bets-101-illinois-lies-east-of-the-mississippi) in Illinois. (Bolding mine) This rule would disqualify Kaskaskia. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/10 "2009-11-15T04:44:13Z")
Wow . . . Minnesota, Kentucky, Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island . . . I’m surprised at how common this is. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/11 "2009-11-15T04:56:12Z")
Little Compton sounds so cute. …also, isn’t part of Virginia on the other side of Chesapeake Bay? ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/12 "2009-11-15T05:00:47Z")
Oh, and Deleware has a tiny piece somewhere else too. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/13 "2009-11-15T06:07:14Z")
Tim mentioned Virginia in his OP. You are correct about Delaware – there is a very small section of land across what’s either Delaware Bay or the Delaware River (and where you draw the line between them is pretty much arbitrary) from the main part of the state, basically a bump on the west shore of New Jersey, which is within the legal limits of Delaware. Noting one further past example. prior to the admission of Maine as a separate state, Massachusetts comprised the present state plus Maine, divided by New Hampshire into two non-contiguous parts. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/14 "2009-11-15T08:58:42Z")
There’s actually two sections of Delaware on the east side of the Delaware estuary. One is relatively large and is near the Supawna Meadows NWR. The other is the very tip of a peninsula somewhat further south. I think both of these were formed by landfills. The [Twelve-Mile Circle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Mile_Circle) that defines Delaware’s northern boundary extends to the original eastern shore of the Delaware River. Any extensions of NJ land into that section of the river belong to Delaware. And yes, it’s questionable if this area is a river or a bay. Based on the map, it looks more like a river to me. As far as Kaskaskia, there are lots of river-based exclaves caused mainly by rivers changing their stream after the boundaries are set. Most are along the Mississippi, but there are some along the Ohio, Missouri, and Wabash Rivers and possibly elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/15 "2009-11-15T09:12:59Z")
Northern Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/16 "2009-11-15T15:06:03Z")
Litle bit of a hijack, but somewhat related: Which states have counties located entirely on islands, and what counties are they? My list, which is admittedly incomplete: **Massachusetts** : Nantucket and Dukes **New York** : Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk **Hawaii** : Hawaii, Honolulu, Kalawao, Kauai, Maui (am I missing any?) **Washington** : Island, San Juan I’m sure some Alaska boroughs qualify, but don’t know the political geography there well enough. ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/17 "2009-11-15T15:11:16Z")
Carter Lake, Iowa is on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/18 "2009-11-15T15:55:17Z")
I would say Delaware qualifies. You can’t get to the other piece of Delaware (in NJ) without being in New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/19 "2009-11-15T21:47:00Z")
I’d think Maryland would qualify. The entire eastern half is separated by the Chesapeake Bay. In the northern part, it’s the Susquehanna River, though, so that may disqualify it by the OP’s rules. However, Ocean City, Maryland is separated from the ‘mainland’ by the Assawoman Bay. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610/20 "2009-11-16T15:24:45Z")
“Maryland is separated from the ‘mainland’ by the Assawoman Bay.” Assawoman Bay used to be called Assawoman Sound. Wonder what that would have sounded like, and felt like during one of their beautiful sunsets… Which provokes, is there a Assaman Sound? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-u-s-states-are-in-two-pieces/517610.md?page=2)