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.
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]
Puerto Rico and other US territories are not part of any census region or census division.[9]
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.
The Federal Circuit is not a regional circuit. Its jurisdiction is nationwide but based on the subject matter.
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]
Office location: Boston
States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Office location: New York City
States: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands
Office location: Philadelphia
States: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
Office location: Atlanta
States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Office location: Chicago
States: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Office location: Dallas
States: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Office location: Kansas City
States: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
Office location: Denver
States: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming
Office location: San Francisco
States: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, and American Samoa
Office location: Seattle
States: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
The Bureau of Economic Analysis defines regions for comparison of economic data.[16]
Connecticut has 9 official planning regions. These regions operate as councils of governments, and are recognized as county equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some of Connecticut's informal regions include:
"Upstate" or "Up North"
"Slower Lower"
Directional regions
Local vernacular regions
Regions shared with other states:
Wisconsin can be divided into five geographic regions.