Contiguous United States - wikipedia Contiguous United States `` CONUS '' redirects here. For the sea snail, see Conus. This shows the contiguous United States and in insets at the lower left, the two states that are not contiguous The contiguous United States consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. ( federal district ), on the continent of North America. The term excludes the non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and all off - shore United States territories and possessions, which are American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The greatest distance ( on a great circle route ) entirely within the 48 contiguous states is 2,802 miles ( 4,509 km, between Florida and the state of Washington ) ; the greatest north - south line is 1,650 miles ( 2,660 km ). Together, the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. occupy a combined area of 3,119,884.69 square miles ( 8,080,464.3 km ), which is 1.58 % of the total surface area of Earth. Of this area, 2,959,064.44 square miles ( 7,663,941.7 km ) is contiguous land, composing 83.65 % of total U.S. land area, similar to the area of Australia. Officially, 160,820.25 square miles ( 416,522.5 km ) of the contiguous United States is water area, composing 62.66 % of the nation 's total water area. The contiguous United States would be placed 5th in the list of sovereign states and dependencies by area ; the total area of the country, including Alaska and Hawaii, ranks fourth. Brazil is the only country that is larger in total area than the contiguous United States, but smaller than the entire United States, while Russia, Canada and China are the only three countries larger than both. The 2010 census population of this area was 306,675,006, comprising 99.33 % of the nation 's population, and a density of 103.639 inhabitants / sq mi ( 40.015 / km ), compared to 87.264 / sq mi ( 33.692 / km ) for the nation as a whole. Contents 1 Other terms 1.1 Continental United States 1.2 CONUS and OCONUS 1.3 The `` Lower 48 '' 1.4 `` Zone of the Interior '' 2 Terms used in the non-contiguous states 2.1 Alaska 2.2 Hawaii 3 Non-contiguous areas within the contiguous United States 4 List of contiguous U.S. states 5 See also 6 Notes 7 External links Other terms While conterminous U.S. has the precise meaning of contiguous U.S. ( both adjectives meaning `` sharing a common boundary '' ), other terms commonly used to describe the 48 contiguous states have a greater degree of ambiguity. Continental United States Because Alaska is also on the North American continent, the term continental United States would also include that state, so the term is sometimes qualified with the explicit inclusion or exclusion of Alaska to resolve any ambiguity. The term was in use prior to the admission of Alaska and Hawaii as states of the United States and at that time usually excluded outlying territories of the United States. However, even before Alaska became a state, it was sometimes included within the `` Continental U.S. '' CONUS and OCONUS CONUS, a technical term used by the U.S. Department of Defense, General Services Administration, NOAA / National Weather Service, and others, has been defined both as the continental United States, and as the 48 contiguous states. The District of Columbia is not always specifically mentioned as being part of CONUS. OCONUS is derived from CONUS with O for outside added, thus referring to Outside of Continental United States ( OCONUS ). The `` lower 48 '' The term `` Lower 48 '' is also used to refer to the conterminous United States. The National Geographic style guide recommends the use of contiguous or conterminous United States instead of lower 48 when the 48 states are meant, unless used in the context of Alaska. `` Zone of the Interior '' During World War II, the first four numbered Air Forces of the USAAF were said to be assigned to the `` Zone of the Interior '' by the American military organizations of the time -- the future states of Alaska and Hawaii, then each only territories of the Union, were respectively covered by the Eleventh Air Force and Seventh Air Force during WW II. Terms used in the non-contiguous States Both Alaskans and Hawaiians have unique labels for the contiguous United States because of their own locations relative to them. Alaska Main article : Outside ( Alaska ) Alaska became the 49th state of the United States on January 3, 1959. Alaska is on the northwest end of the North American continent, but separated from the rest of the United States Pacific coast by the Canadian province of British Columbia. In Alaska, given the ambiguity surrounding the usage of continental, the term `` continental United States '' is almost unheard of when referring to the contiguous 48 states. Several other terms have been used over the years. The term Lower 48 has, for many years, been a common Alaskan equivalent for `` contiguous United States '' ; today, more Alaskans use the term `` Outside '', though a few persons may use `` Outside '' to refer to any location not within Alaska. Hawaii Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States on August 21, 1959. It is the southernmost and so far, the latest state to join the Union. Not part of any continent, Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean, about 2,200 miles ( 3,500 km ) from North America and almost halfway to Asia. In Hawaii and overseas American territories, for instance, the terms the Mainland or U.S. Mainland are often used to refer to the continental United States. Non-contiguous areas within the contiguous United States Apart from off - shore US islands, a few continental portions of the contiguous US are accessible by road only by traveling through Canada. Point Roberts, Washington ; Elm Point, Minnesota ; and the Northwest Angle in Minnesota are three such places. Alburgh, Vermont, is not directly connected by land, but is accessible by road via bridges from within Vermont and from New York. List of contiguous U.S. States The 48 contiguous United States are : Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Washington, D.C. ( the U.S. capital, also referred to as the District of Columbia ) is distinct from the state of Washington. See also Extreme points of the United States Mainland Notes Jump up ^ `` United Airlines website ''. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012. Contiguous United States : The 48 adjoining states and the District of Columbia. ^ Jump up to : Random House ( 1991 ). Random House Webster 's College Dictionary. New York : Random House. ISBN 0 - 679 - 40110 - 5. Jump up ^ These maps show the contiguous 48 states and D.C., but not Alaska and Hawaii. `` Military Bases in the Contiguous United States ''. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved November 28, 2012. `` Soil Moisture Regimes of the Contiguous United States ''. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved November 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Longest Line in America ! ''. Retrieved October 15, 2013. Jump up ^ `` HowStuffWorks `` Geography of the United States - Geography '' ``. Geography.howstuffworks.com. March 30, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The World Factbook ''. cia.gov. Jump up ^ `` Resident Population Data - 2010 Census ''. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011. Jump up ^ * `` National Geographic Style Manual ''. Retrieved April 4, 2012. The continental United States comprises the 48 contiguous, or coterminous, states plus Alaska. `` United Cargo website ''. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012. Continental United States : The 48 adjoining states, Alaska and District of Columbia. `` Alaska Airlines website ''. Retrieved April 4, 2012. The Continental U.S. includes the lower 48 states as well as the State of Alaska, unless otherwise specified. Inland Marine and Transportation Insurance. 1949. Retrieved April 4, 2012. In the absence of any such statement, Alaska probably would be regarded as a part of the continental United States. ( before statehood ) Jump up ^ `` U.S. Navy Style Guide ''. Retrieved April 4, 2012. CONUS - `` Continental United States '' CONUS refers to the 48 contiguous states. Jump up ^ Internal Revenue Code. 2007. Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. the term `` United States mainland '' means the continental United States ( not including Alaska ). ``... outside the continental United States ( includes Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Canada and all foreign countries )... `` Equimax candidate listing ''. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Abstract of the 1900 Census ( 1904 ), p. xiii '' ( PDF ). The area... is continental United States, by which is meant that part of the United States lying on the continent of North America south of the Canadian boundary. It thus excludes Alaska and the recent insular accessions of Hawaii, Porto Rico ( sic ), the Philippine Islands, Guam, Samoa... Jump up ^ ``... merchandise to foreign countries from continental United states, Puerto Rico, and the territories of Alaska and Hawaii. '' United States Foreign Trade ( 1950 - 1953 ) Jump up ^ `` In the absence of any such statement, Alaska probably would be regarded as a part of the continental United States. '' Inland Marine and Transportation Insurance ( 1949 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Per Diem Rates ( CONUS and OCONUS ) ''. United States General Services Administration. ^ Jump up to : `` U.S. Navy Style Guide ''. CONUS - `` Continental United States. '' CONUS refers to the 48 contiguous states. It is not synonymous with United States. CONUS is acceptable on first reference. `` CONUS '' seems to be used primarily by the American military and the Federal government and those doing business with them. Jump up ^ `` Glossary of Army Terms ''. Retrieved April 4, 2012. `` OCONUS : Outside Continental United States Jump up ^ `` National Geographic Style Manual : conterminous, or contiguous, continental, continental United States ''. Retrieved April 4, 2012. Use contiguous, or conterminous, for the 48 states. The continental United States comprises the 48 contiguous, or conterminous, states plus Alaska. Jump up ^ `` National Geographic Style Manual : Alaska ''. Retrieved December 6, 2013. The continental United States includes Alaska. ( ) In Alaska context, lower forty - eight or lower 48 may be used. Do not hyphenate lower 48 as an adjective. The term outside may be put in quotes on first reference if ambiguous. To distinguish the 48 states from the 49 or 50, use contiguous or conterminous. Jump up ^ `` Learn to Speak Alaskan - Alaskan Language Tips - Princess Lodges ''. princesslodges.com. Jump up ^ `` ALASKA : State Profile ''. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ski ''. google.com. Jump up ^ `` What are some things Alaska does differently from the contiguous states ? - Quora ''. quora.com. Jump up ^ Edles, Laura Desfor ( 2003 ). `` ' Race, ' ' Ethnicity, ' and ' Culture ' in Hawai'i : The Myth of the ' Model Minority ' State ''. In Loretta I. Winters and Herman L. DeBose ( ed. ) New Faces in a Changing America : Multiracial Identity in the 21st Century. SAGE Publications. p. 241. ISBN 9780761923008. Jump up ^ Ross, Oakland ( June 3, 2011 ). `` Orphans of the atlas ''. Toronto Star. Retrieved June 5, 2011. External links Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Contiguous United States. Definition of continental Definition of contiguous Definition of coterminous and conterminous Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Contiguous_United_States&oldid=804255691 '' Categories : Subdivisions of the United States Metropolitan or continental parts of states Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from November 2015 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Беларуская Български Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Føroyskt Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Latviešu Македонски မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Simple English Slovenščina کوردی Svenska Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 7 October 2017, at 20 : 02. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: how many states are in the continental united states
Answer: 48