This is a list of some of the ways regions are defined in the United States . Many regions are defined in law or regulations by the federal government; others by shared culture and history, and others by economic factors.
Interstate regions
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Census Bureau–designated regions and divisions
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U.S. Census Bureau regions and divisions
Since 1950, the United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions.[ 1] [ 2] The Census Bureau region definition is "widely used... for data collection and analysis",[ 3] and is the most commonly used classification system.[ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
Region 1: Northeast
Region 2: Midwest (designated as the North Central Region before June 1984)[ 8]
Division 3: East North Central (Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio , and Wisconsin )
Division 4: West North Central (Iowa , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , North Dakota , and South Dakota )
Region 3: South
Division 5: South Atlantic (Florida , Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Virginia , Washington, D.C. , Maryland , Delaware , and West Virginia )
Division 6: East South Central (Alabama , Kentucky , Mississippi , and Tennessee )
Division 7: West South Central (Arkansas , Louisiana , Oklahoma , and Texas )
Region 4: West
Division 8: Mountain (Arizona , Colorado , Idaho , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Utah , and Wyoming )
Division 9: Pacific (Alaska , California , Hawaii , Oregon , and Washington )
Puerto Rico and other US territories are not part of any census region or census division.[ 9]
Federal Reserve Banks
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Federal Reserve System districts
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 divided the country into twelve districts with a central Federal Reserve Bank in each district. These twelve Federal Reserve Banks together form a major part of the Federal Reserve System , the central banking system of the United States. Missouri is the only U.S. state to have two Federal Reserve locations within its borders, but several other states are also divided between more than one district.
Boston
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco
Time zones
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U.S. time zones (some U.S. time zones are not on this map)
UTC−12:00 (Baker Island , Howland Island )
Samoa Time Zone (American Samoa , Jarvis Island , Kingman Reef , Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll )
Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone (Hawaii , Aleutian Islands (Alaska) , Johnston Atoll )
Alaska Time Zone (Alaska , excluding Aleutian Islands)
Pacific Time Zone
Arizona Time Zone (excluding the Navajo Nation )[ 10]
Mountain Time Zone (excluding most parts of Arizona )
Central Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
Atlantic Time Zone (Puerto Rico , U.S. Virgin Islands )
Chamorro Time Zone (Guam , Northern Mariana Islands )
Wake Island Time Zone (Wake Island )
Courts of Appeals circuits
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U.S. Courts of Appeals circuits
The Federal Circuit is not a regional circuit. Its jurisdiction is nationwide but based on the subject matter.
Agency administrative regions
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In 1969, the Office of Management and Budget published a list of ten "Standard Federal Regions",[ 11] to which federal agencies could be restructured as a means of standardizing government administration nationwide. Despite a finding in 1977 that this restructuring did not reduce administrative costs as initially expected,[ 12]
and the complete rescinding of the standard region system in 1995,[ 13]
several agencies continue to follow the system, including the Environmental Protection Agency [ 14] and the Department of Housing and Urban Development .[ 15]
Regions and office locations
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Regions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region I
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Office location: Boston
States: Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont
Region II
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Office location: New York City
States: New York , New Jersey , Puerto Rico , and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Region III
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Office location: Philadelphia
States: Delaware , Maryland , Pennsylvania , Virginia , Washington, D.C. , and West Virginia
Region IV
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Office location: Atlanta
States: Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , and Tennessee
Region V
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Office location: Chicago
States: Illinois , Indiana , Minnesota , Michigan , Ohio , and Wisconsin
Region VI
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Office location: Dallas
States: Arkansas , Louisiana , New Mexico , Oklahoma , and Texas
Region VII
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Office location: Kansas City
States: Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , and Nebraska
Region VIII
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Office location: Denver
States: Colorado , Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Utah , and Wyoming
Region IX
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Office location: San Francisco
States: Arizona , California , Hawaii , Nevada , Guam , Northern Mariana Islands , and American Samoa
Region X
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Office location: Seattle
States: Alaska , Idaho , Oregon , and Washington
Bureau of Economic Analysis regions
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Bureau of Economic Analysis regions
The Bureau of Economic Analysis defines regions for comparison of economic data.[ 16]
New England: Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont
Mideast: Delaware , Maryland , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania , and Washington, D.C.
Great Lakes: Illinois , Indiana , Michigan , Ohio , and Wisconsin
Plains: Iowa , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , North Dakota , and South Dakota
Southeast: Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , and West Virginia
Southwest: Arizona , New Mexico , Oklahoma , and Texas
Rocky Mountain: Colorado , Idaho , Montana , Utah , and Wyoming
Far West: Alaska , California , Hawaii , Nevada , Oregon , and Washington
Unofficial regions
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Multi-state regions
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Multi-territory regions
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The Belts
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Interstate megalopolises
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Interstate metropolitan areas
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Central Savannah River Area (part of Georgia and South Carolina)
Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area (Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania)
Greater Boston (parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire)
Charlotte metropolitan area (parts of North Carolina and South Carolina)
Chattanooga Metropolitan Area
Chicago metropolitan area (parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin)
Cincinnati metropolitan area (parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky)
Columbus-Auburn-Opelika (GA-AL) Combined Statistical Area (parts of Georgia and Alabama)
Delaware Valley (parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland)
Evansville, IN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area (parts of Indiana and Kentucky)
Fargo–Moorhead (parts of North Dakota and Minnesota)
Fort Smith metropolitan area (parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma)
Front Range Urban Corridor (parts of Colorado and Wyoming)
Greater Grand Forks (part of Minnesota and North Dakota)
Hartford-Springfield (parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts)
Kansas City metropolitan area (parts of Missouri and Kansas)
Louisville metropolitan area (Kentuckiana) (parts of Kentucky and Indiana)
Memphis metropolitan area (parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi)
Michiana (parts of Michigan and Indiana)
Minneapolis–Saint Paul (the Twin Cities) (parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin)
New York metropolitan area (parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania)
Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area (parts of Nebraska and Iowa)
Portland metropolitan area (parts of Oregon and Washington)
Quad Cities (parts of Iowa and Illinois)
Sacramento metropolitan area (parts of California and Nevada)
Greater St. Louis (parts of Missouri and Illinois)
Texarkana metropolitan area (parts of Texas and Arkansas)
Tri-Cities (parts of Tennessee and Virginia)
Twin Ports (Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin )
Hampton Roads region (parts of Virginia and North Carolina)
Youngstown–Warren–Boardman metropolitan statistical area (parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania)
Intrastate and intraterritory regions
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Alabama
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A map of regions of Alabama
Regions of Alabama include:
Alaska
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Southeast Alaska , also known as the Alaska Panhandle
Regions of Alaska include:
American Samoa
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American Samoa
Regions of American Samoa include:
Arizona
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The Arizona Strip
Regions of Arizona include:
Arkansas
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Regions of Arkansas
Regions of Arkansas include:
California
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Colorado
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An enlargeable map of the Front Range Urban Corridor of Colorado and Wyoming
Regions of Colorado include:
Connecticut
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Map highlighting the nine regions of Connecticut
Connecticut has nine official planning regions, which operate as councils of governments and are recognized as county equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau . The nine regions are:
Some of Connecticut's informal regions include:
Delaware
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The Delaware Valley , also known as metropolitan Philadelphia
Regions of Delaware include:
"Slower Lower":
District of Columbia
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Florida
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The First Coast
The Florida Panhandle
Directional regions of Florida include:
Local vernacular regions of Florida include:
Georgia
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Regions of Georgia include:
Physiographic regions
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Physiographic regions of Georgia include:
Guam
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Regions of Guam include:
Hawaii
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Hawaiian archipelago
Hawaiian Islands
Regions of Hawaii include:
Idaho
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The Idaho Panhandle
Regions of Idaho include:
Illinois
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Southern Illinois , also known as "Little Egypt"
Regions of Illinois include:
Indiana
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Regions of Indiana
Regions of Indiana include:
Iowa
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Regions of Iowa
Regions of Iowa include:
Kansas
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Regions of Kansas include:
Kentucky
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Regions of Kentucky include:
Louisiana
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Regions of Louisiana
Regions of Louisiana include:
Maine
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Regions of Maine include:
Maryland
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Regions of Maryland
Regions of Maryland include:
Regions of Maryland shared with other states include:
Massachusetts
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The Berkshires region of Massachusetts
Regions of Massachusetts include:
Michigan
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Regions of Michigan
Regions of Michigan include:
Lower Peninsula
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Upper Peninsula
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Minnesota
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Regions of Minnesota
Regions of Minnesota include:
Mississippi
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Regions of Mississippi include:
Missouri
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The Missouri Bootheel
Regions of Missouri include:
Montana
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Regions of Montana include:
Nebraska
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The Nebraska Panhandle
Regions of Nebraska include:
Nevada
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Regions of Nevada include:
New Hampshire
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Regions of New Hampshire include:
New Jersey
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Regions of New Jersey include:
New Mexico
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Regions of New Mexico include:
New York
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Regions of New York states as defined by the Empire State Development Corporation Regions of New York
The ten regions of New York , as defined by the Empire State Development Corporation :
Capital District – counties : Albany , Columbia , Greene , Warren , Washington , Saratoga , Schenectady , Rensselaer
Central New York – counties: Cortland , Cayuga , Onondaga , Oswego , Madison
Finger Lakes – counties: Orleans , Genesee , Wyoming , Monroe , Livingston , Wayne , Ontario , Yates , Seneca
Hudson Valley – counties: Sullivan , Ulster , Dutchess , Orange , Putnam , Rockland , Westchester
Long Island – counties: Nassau , Suffolk
Mohawk Valley – counties: Oneida , Herkimer , Fulton , Montgomery , Otsego , Schoharie
New York City – counties (boroughs): New York (Manhattan ), Bronx (The Bronx ), Queens (Queens ), Kings (Brooklyn ), Richmond (Staten Island )
North Country – counties : St. Lawrence , Lewis , Jefferson , Hamilton , Essex , Clinton , Franklin
Southern Tier – counties: Steuben , Schuyler , Chemung , Tompkins , Tioga , Chenango , Broome , Delaware
Western New York – counties: Niagara , Erie , Chautauqua , Cattaraugus , Allegany
Regions of New York state include:
North Carolina
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Regions of North Carolina
Regions of North Carolina include:
North Dakota
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Regions of North Dakota include:
Northern Mariana Islands
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Northern Mariana Islands
Regions of the Northern Mariana Islands include:
Ohio
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The Great Black Swamp region of Ohio
Regions of Ohio include:
Oklahoma
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The Oklahoma Panhandle
Regions of Oklahoma include:
Oregon
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The topography of Oregon
Oregon's High Desert
Regions of Oregon include:
Pennsylvania
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Regions of Pennsylvania include:
Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico
Regions of Puerto Rico include:
Rhode Island
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Regions of Rhode Island include:
South Carolina
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Regions of South Carolina include:
Other geographical distinctions:
South Dakota
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East River and West River in South Dakota
Regions of South Dakota include:
Tennessee
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The Grand Divisions of Tennessee include:
Texas
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The Texas Panhandle
Regions of Texas include:
U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
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The United States Minor Outlying Islands (Navassa Island not on map)
Regions of United States Minor Outlying Islands include:
U.S. Virgin Islands
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Regions of United States Virgin Islands include:
Utah
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Regions of Utah include:
Vermont
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Regions of Vermont include:
Virginia
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A map of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia
Regions of Virginia include:
Washington
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Regions of Washington include:
West Virginia
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Regions of West Virginia include:
Wisconsin
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Wisconsin 's five geographic regions
Wisconsin is divided into five geographic regions :
Wyoming
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Regions of Wyoming include:
See also
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United States portal
Explanatory notes
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References
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^ "Statistical Groupings of States and Counties" (PDF) . census.gov . United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2020 .
^ United States Census Bureau, Geography Division. "Census Regions and Divisions of the United States" (PDF) . Retrieved January 10, 2013 .
^ "The National Energy Modeling System: An Overview 2003" (Report #: DOE/EIA-0581, October 2009). United States Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration .
^ "The most widely used regional definitions and follow those of the U.S. Bureau of the Census." Seymour Sudman and Norman M. Bradburn, Asking Questions: A Practical Guide to Questionnaire Design (1982). Jossey-Bass : p. 205.
^ "Perhaps the most widely used regional classification system is one developed by the U.S. Census Bureau." Dale M. Lewison, Retailing , Prentice Hall (1997): p. 384. ISBN 978-0-13-461427-4
^ "[M]ost demographic and food consumption data are presented in this four-region format." Pamela Goyan Kittler, Kathryn P. Sucher, Food and Culture , Cengage Learning (2008): p.475. ISBN 9780495115410
^ "Census Bureau Regions and Divisions with State FIPS Codes" (PDF) . US Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2010 .
^ "Census Bureau Regions and Divisions with State FIPS Codes" (PDF) . US Census Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2010 .
^ "Geographic Terms and Concepts - Census Divisions and Census Regions". US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2015 .
^ "No DST in Most of Arizona". www.timeanddate.com . Retrieved August 14, 2020 .
^ Standard Federal Regions , Office of Management and Budget , 1969, Circular A-105
^ Office of Management and Budget (August 17, 1977), Standardized Federal Regions: Little Effect on Agency Management of Personnel , Government Accountability Office , FPCD-77-39
^ 60 FR 15171
^ Williams, Dennis C. (March 1993), Why Are Our Regional Offices and Labs Located Where They Are? A Historical Perspective on Siting , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
^ HUD's Regions , U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , September 20, 2017
^ "BEA Regions". Bureau of Economic Analysis. February 18, 2004. Retrieved December 27, 2012 .
^ The World Factbook CIA World Factbook - American Samoa. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
External links
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U.S. Library of Congress Map of the US Regions