# Place the states (game)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 13, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503 "2004-11-13T01:52:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/1 "2004-11-13T01:52:05Z")
My boss e-mailed [this](http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_drag-drop_Intermed_State15s_500.html) to everyone this afternoon just for a bit of fun. See how acurate you are.
I have tried only once and I got 44/50 with an average error of 26 miles. Not bad for a British person who does not know a whole lot about geography.
[sub]On her second go, my wife got 49/50 with an average error of 2 miles.[/sub]
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/2 "2004-11-13T02:06:46Z")
48 out of 50, average error 35 miles. Thanks for giving me Delaware first, you bastards. 🙂 (Rhode Island was the other one I got wrong).
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### Author:  [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/3 "2004-11-13T02:11:12Z")
47/50, average error 17 miles. I think I got pretty lucky, though…most of my first states were coastal, so I could just follow the curves.
I missed Missouri (one of the few inland states I got early on), Delaware (yeah, Delaware) and…I don’t remember the other one.
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/4 "2004-11-13T02:36:55Z")
48/50 average error 5 miles. I missed Iowa (my first one) and Nebraska (also an early one with not much to go on).
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### Author:  [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/5 "2004-11-13T02:36:58Z")
49/50, average error of 1 mile.
I got states I was absolutely positive about first, though, which gave me a lot of outlines to work with on the ones that usually give me trouble.
(For example, I got Iowa perfect the first time I took it after I’d done a lot of states. I tried a second time and Iowa was my first state. I was so far off…)
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/6 "2004-11-13T02:43:26Z")
48 perfectly placed out of 50, average error 3 miles!
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### Author:  [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/7 "2004-11-13T03:17:43Z")
46/50. AVG error - 9 miles.
I got Colorado first, dammit.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/8 "2004-11-13T03:21:22Z")
That was pretty cool!
47/50 perfect. 5 mile error. 375 seconds.
My first state was Iowa. I’m actually pretty pleased I was only off by 121 miles.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/9 "2004-11-13T03:24:21Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#):
>
> I got Colorado first, dammit.
😃
That would have been just as hard as Iowa to start, even for me.
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### Author:  [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/10 "2004-11-13T03:26:48Z")
I got 44 out of 50, with an average error of 10 miles. I got Nebraska first. _makes face_
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### Author:  [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/11 "2004-11-13T03:33:43Z")
I got 88%, with an average error of 18 miles in 319 seconds.
That was a lot of fun.
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### Author:  [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/12 "2004-11-13T03:36:33Z")
49 out of 50 - Average error 1 mile.
Kansas was first and I got it right!!! Colorado was third or fourth and I stuck it 26 miles too far north.
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### Author:  [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/13 "2004-11-13T03:54:22Z")
92%, average error of 8 miles. I messed up South Carolina at the start, and Iowa a few turns later. Also my finger slipped and I dropped Wyoming.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/14 "2004-11-13T03:56:08Z")
> [@ITR champion](#):
>
> Also my finger slipped and I dropped Wyoming.
I hope you didn’t break it - we got it on sale.
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### Author:  [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/15 "2004-11-13T04:20:39Z")
first time was 48 with 10miles for 92% the second time was much easier because of the draw and I got 49 with 3 miles off for a 98%
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/16 "2004-11-13T04:25:33Z")
92% with an average of 12 miles off. 225 seconds.
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### Author:  [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/17 "2004-11-13T04:30:36Z")
I sincerely apologize to the people of Idaho. I have no idea where you people live.
Only 42 perfect out of 50, but I got a lot of the little ones first (Rhode Island!). Still managed 84% with average error of 55 miles.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/18 "2004-11-13T04:35:15Z")
44/50. I got Hawaii first (wow, easy game!), but that was quickly followed up with Delaware and Wyoming. Uhh…less easy.
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### Author:  [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/19 "2004-11-13T04:52:17Z")
90% (45/50)
Average error 9 miles
399 seconds
Nine freakin’ miles. I think they moved the states a little.
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### Author:  [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-the-states-game/274503/20 "2004-11-13T05:14:00Z")
49/50, average error 8 miles.
I got Wyoming early and put in right in the middle of Utah. Not the worst idea ever.
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