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Contiguous United States

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Map showing the locations of Alaska and Hawaii compared to the rest of the United States.

The Contiguous United States

The contiguous United States, also called the U.S. mainland, is made up of 48 connected U.S. states and the District of Columbia. These states are all next to each other and are in the middle of North America. They are not Alaska or Hawaii, which are far away from the rest of the country.

If you look at a map, you will see these 48 states all stuck together like a big puzzle. Most people in the United States live here. It is a very big place, and if it were a country all by itself, it would be one of the largest in the world.

People sometimes call these states the “lower 48” when they talk about Alaska. This name helps us remember that Alaska and Hawaii are not part of this group. The contiguous United States is very important because it is where most of the country’s people, cities, and places are found.

The 48 States

The contiguous United States has these 48 states and the District of Columbia:

And also the District of Columbia.

Related articles

United States
U.S. state
District of Columbia
North America
Alaska
Hawaii

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Contiguous United States, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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