How to use the random state generator
- Press Spin, tap the wheel, or press the space bar.
- The wheel lands on a random state and shows it in large type.
- Press State capitals to spin a random capital city instead, or a region to narrow it down.
What is on the wheel
The 50 US states. Washington, D.C. and the territories (such as Puerto Rico and Guam) are not states, so they are not on the default wheel; type them into the options box if you want them.
The State capitals button spins the 50 capital cities, each shown with its state, for example Sacramento, California.
The 50 states and capitals were checked on 26 September 2026. The region buttons follow the four US Census Bureau regions.
The four regions
The region buttons use the four regions of the US Census Bureau:
- Northeast: 9 states, from Maine to Pennsylvania.
- Midwest: 12 states, from Ohio to the Dakotas.
- South: 16 states, from Delaware and Florida to Texas and Oklahoma.
- West: 13 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Ideas for a random state
- Quiz yourself on the capital, the flag or the state bird.
- Plan a road trip to a random state.
- Pick a state for a school report.
- Play a license plate or trivia game with friends.
Northeast (9)
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Midwest (12)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
South (16)
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
West (13)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming
Questions
Is Washington, D.C. on the wheel?
No. D.C. is a federal district, not a state. Type it into the options box to add it.
Is every state equally likely?
Yes. Each of the 50 states has a slice of the same size, so Rhode Island is exactly as likely as Texas: 1 in 50. Your browser's cryptographic random number generator picks where the wheel stops.
Can I spin a random US city?
Press State capitals to spin the 50 capital cities. For any other cities, type them into the options box, one per line.
Can I go through all 50 without repeats?
Yes. Tick Remove the winner after each spin and each state leaves the wheel once it comes up.