The US Census Bureau's Northeast region has nine states in two divisions. New England is Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Middle Atlantic division is New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, and Connecticut and New Jersey aren't much bigger, so the quiz zooms in on the region. Turn on "Zoom" on a phone for an even closer view.
The Northeast is also where the country began: seven of these nine states were among the thirteen original colonies; only Vermont and Maine were not. That history explains the small, irregular borders, drawn long before the straight survey lines of the West.
Telling the small states apart
- Vermont and New Hampshire look like mirror images: Vermont is wider at the top, New Hampshire is wider at the bottom.
- Rhode Island is the small state tucked between Connecticut and the southeastern corner of Massachusetts.
- New Jersey sits between New York City and Philadelphia; the Hudson and Delaware rivers form much of its border.
The 9 states in this quiz
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Hartford | Northeast |
| Maine | Augusta | Northeast |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Northeast |
| New Hampshire | Concord | Northeast |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Northeast |
| New York | Albany | Northeast |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Northeast |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Northeast |
| Vermont | Montpelier | Northeast |
Questions people ask
Is Maryland a Northeast state?
Not in the Census Bureau's definition, which places Maryland and Delaware in the South. Many people still call them Mid-Atlantic or Northeastern states, so you'll see both.
Which Northeast state is the largest?
By area, New York is the largest Northeast state, followed by Pennsylvania and Maine. By population, New York is first and Pennsylvania second.