# NEW states list puzzle- an experiment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940 "2003-09-26T11:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/1 "2003-09-26T11:24:32Z")
With the [states list puzzle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=130383) still grinding on without a solution, I’ve been wondering about the solvability of this puzzle- it appears that personal knowledge of the puzzle setter is required, from posts on the subject made elsewhere. I’ve decided to construct my own states list puzzle, as much for the enjoyment of fellow Dopers as to see how quickly a fair version of this kind of puzzle can be solved. I believe the puzzle is fair. I think it will be solved by somebody here, reasonably quickly. It requires no personal knowledge of me. The answer is available on the Internet. Again, the puzzle is to explain the ordering of the US states. The answer will be of the form ‘This is the order in which \ \’. As we’re up to 27 states in the other puzzle, I’ll give you the same number of states in mine. I will add more states, and provide more information, depending on how this pans out. * * * 1 .Oregon 2 .Washington 3 .Idaho 4 .Montana 5 .North Dakota 6 .South Dakota 7 .Minnesota 8 .Iowa 9 .Nebraska 10.Missouri 11.Illinois 12.Indiana 13.Kentucky 14.West Virginia 15.Virginia 16.Tennessee 17.North Carolina 18.South Carolina 19.Wyoming 20.Colorado 21.Kansas 22.Oklahoma 23.New Mexico 24.Texas 25.Louisiana 26.California 27.Nevada ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/2 "2003-09-26T12:02:28Z")
the order in which these states were mentioned on the SDMB Just a WAG, not sure what your proviso might be… ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/3 "2003-09-26T13:36:17Z")
No, **The Great Unwashed** , that’s not it. ---
**Author:** ![uriber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/848f3c/32.png) [@uriber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uriber)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/4 "2003-09-26T15:09:30Z")
I don’t know the answer, but I can make the following observation: Except for two cases (South Carolina -\> Wyoming and Louisiana -\> California), each two consecutive states on the list share a common border. The first 18 seem to follow a west-to-east path, and the next seven follow a approximate north-to south path. Maybe this will help someone solve this. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/5 "2003-09-26T17:42:53Z")
Where does Wyoming border South Carolina ---
**Author:** ![uriber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/848f3c/32.png) [@uriber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uriber)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/6 "2003-09-26T18:22:50Z")
It doesn’t, and neither does Louisiana border California. The two cases I gave were the _exceptions_ to the rule. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/7 "2003-10-01T10:03:52Z")
Time for some more states, then: 28.Utah 29.Mississippi 30.Alabama 31.Florida 32.Georgia 33.Arkansas 34.Wisconsin 35.Michigan ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-states-list-puzzle-an-experiment/203940/8 "2003-10-01T10:58:14Z")
States where the ISS was directly overhead?