# I've now visited all 49 continental US states. Plus DC, PR, and USVI. I'm looking at you next, Hawaii **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 21, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160 "2025-07-21T20:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/21 "2025-07-21T22:32:21Z")
Am I the first to point out that there are 48 continental US States, not 49? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/22 "2025-07-21T22:38:09Z")
48 contiguous, 49 continental. I’ve been to 40. I’ve heard various standards for what counts, including that you need to eat something, need to buy something, or need to use the restroom, so to make sure, on my way through North Dakota when I was Greyhounding to Montana, I bought a candy bar from a vending machine and stopped to pee. One of the New England stats was also a just-barely, Vermont I think. I’m not in any hurry to cross Alabama, Mississippi, or Florida off of my list. And I’m still kicking myself for missing the opportunity to go visit my uncle while he was living in Hawaii. Now, my mom, she’s the real traveler in the family. She’s hit all 50 states, close to 60 countries, and all seven continents. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/23 "2025-07-21T22:39:06Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > This is interesting: I just did the math, and I’ve been to more countries (27) than US states (24). Me too! 45 vs. 42. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/24 "2025-07-21T22:51:31Z")
I’ve got a lot less than you, but I did Hawaii in the Navy. Most of the southern and all the Southwest state for me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/25 "2025-07-21T22:57:27Z")
43 for me but it’s sorta cheating given my occupational history. I’m actually not a huge US traveler for recreation. By the standards set in the OP I’ve never been to ID, MT, WY, SD, ND in the Big Sky region, nor RI nor VT in New England. I’ve slept in or driven through all the others. So 43 hits, 7 misses. I’ve lived \>1 year in 6 states and short term in 3 more. Been to most of the Caribbean islands and all of Central / South America that’s not Southern Cone. In Canada I’ve sampled British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/26 "2025-07-21T23:17:33Z")
38 states, plus DC, PR, VI, and GU. Haven’t visited VT, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, ID (though I did sit in a plane at an airport for an hour or so), MT, WY, ND, SD, or AK. Lived in MI, IL, IA, CA, CT, VA, and HI. Overnight stays in ME, NH, MA, OH, FL, LA, MN, MO, NE, CO, IN (called it home for several years, but never actually lived there), NY, NC, MD, UT, PA, OR, SC, WI, and WA, plus the three island territories. Other eleven states and DC were just drivethroughs. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/27 "2025-07-21T23:19:22Z")
Well, I’ve never been to North Dakota and Oklahoma. And I could do without the music. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/28 "2025-07-21T23:26:39Z")
Also visited seventeen other countries (overnight stays in all of them), flew over two others, and went through both the Panama and Suez Canals – all courtesy of the Navy. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/29 "2025-07-21T23:33:45Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > And I could do without the music. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ov4epAJRPMw/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGAgZShVMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDbzoAui21agfkqoEONr7RfD0NlKA "J-O-H-N-N-Y C-A-S-H - I've Been Everywhere - With Lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4epAJRPMw) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/30 "2025-07-21T23:41:59Z")
You think Alaska’s an island? 😜 There are 48 contiguous US states, but there are 49 US states in North America. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/31 "2025-07-22T00:07:19Z")
It’s about 20 US states for me. But I have driven my car to and through all Canadian provinces, plus one territory. Seven Canadian provinces by rail. Just missing British Columbia. (PEI and Newfoundland have no rail nowadays.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/32 "2025-07-22T00:12:54Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Oh, Glacier was glorious. We were there about 3 weeks ago, for the first time. So were we! > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > We considered doing Yellowstone too, but decided we lacked the time to really explore it. Depending on where you are going, you could have done what we did and drive through the Lamar Valley. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/33 "2025-07-22T00:20:48Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > There are 48 contiguous US states, but there are 49 US states in North America. My mistake. Having spent a lot of time in Alaska, I think in terms of “lower 48.” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/34 "2025-07-22T00:30:59Z")
I’ve never been to America. However I have been to the States of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. I have not been to Northern Territory nor Australian Capital Territory but they are not States, they’re territories. Like it says in their name. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/35 "2025-07-22T00:39:06Z")
Only 31. Every state that touches salt water plus the rest of New England, PA, WV, OH, MI, IL, MO, CO. I changed planes in NV (on way to HI), and MN. Also PR and DC. I have spent at least one night in every Canadian province, but no territory. As for countries, aside from US and Canada, Mexico (only about an hour foot in Tijuana), UK, FR, BE, NE, DE, Lux, CH (that’s Switzerland), IT, Monaco, DK, NO, and maybe a half hour in SW. For that last, I had to deliver my Volvo to Goteborg. I was spending the summer in DK and took a ferry from northern Jutland to Joteborg, found the Volvo factory, got a ride back to the same ferry and back to DK, train to Aarhus. I two or three weeks in Barbados every year from 2001 to 2019 with one exception. Finally a month in Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/36 "2025-07-22T00:40:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I’ve never been to America. However I have been to the States of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania. I can only count New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, sadly. But at least I’ve been to Australia, which I’m sure many North Americans cannot say. Looking forward to going back someday. . ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/37 "2025-07-22T02:15:12Z")
Quebec, Ontario, Yukon, Alberta and British Columbia for Canada. Furrin parts: Mexico, England, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Vatican City, Ireland (Northern and Republic of), Wales, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands. No Southern Hemisphere. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/38 "2025-07-22T07:29:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve been to 40. I’ve heard various standards for what counts, including that you need to eat something, need to buy something, or need to use the restroom, Hey, by that standard, I’ve been to Iceland. And whatever province Halifax is in. But i only changed planes there, so i don’t count them. (Hey, I’ve even been outdoors in Iceland, as we had to walk across the tarmac, in such a fierce wind i worked about losing my boarding pass.) 35 states plus DC. Not PR or any other territories. Hmmm, all the coastal states except MS and AK, counting the coats of the great lakes. Plus VY, KS, CO, UT, NV. Hmm, counting nations the way the world map that’s related to that US map, above, does: 3 North American nations (US, Canada, Bermuda) 28 European nations (not counting Iceland) 2 Asian nations (Israel & Japan) 4 African nations (South Africa, Lesotho, Zambia, Botswana, and a layover in Senegal, but i didn’t even leave the aircraft.) 1 Oceanic nation (Australia) So i guess it’s 38 nations, more than the US states I’ve been to. I think I’ve only been to 3 Canadian provinces: Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. And I’ve never been to South America. (Nor Antarctica.) ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/39 "2025-07-22T11:13:35Z")
I haven’t been to the northeast – where it is relatively easy to visit a lot of states in a short drive. Does a bus ride from the cruise port to Newark airport count as being in New Jersey? I was probably in New York and possibly other state waters on the cruise (last leg was Halifax - NJ) Brian ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160/40 "2025-07-22T11:22:50Z")
You went on a cruise of the US Northeast? Without docking? I didn’t know they did that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-now-visited-all-49-continental-us-states-plus-dc-pr-and-usvi-im-looking-at-you-next-hawaii/1021160.md?page=3)