List of U.S. states by date of statehood
This is a list of U.S. states by date of statehood, that is, the date when each U.S. state joined the Union. Although the first 13 states can be considered to be members of the United States from the date of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, or from the date of ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (the first United States Constitution), each subsequently ratified the present U.S. Constitution, and are presented in that order.
The first of the 13 states to ratify the present U.S. Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, and the last was Rhode Island on May 29, 1790. The most recent state to join the Union was Hawaii on 21 August 1959. Although the District of Columbia and the insular areas (such as Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa) are not states, it is possible that they may become states in the future (see, for example, D.C. Statehood).
- Notes
- † Signed the Declaration of Independence.
- ‡ Date ratified United States Constitution.
- *The date of admission of Ohio (March 1, 1803) was declared retroactively on August 7, 1953.
| United States state lists |
|---|
| Capitals | Capitols | Largest cities | Date of statehood | Never territories | Name etymologies | Area | Elevation | Population | Population density | Postal abbreviations | Time zone | Traditional abbreviation | Unemployment rate | Current and former capitals | State insignia |
References
- 50 State Quarter Program from the United States Mint (including dates of statehood) [Retrieved: 19 January 2006]
- Dates of statehood (includes notes) [Retrieved: 19 January 2006]
