List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation

U.S. states

This is a list of traditional abbreviations for U.S. states and territories, which were in wide use prior to the U.S. postal abbreviations. Many writers continue to prefer these abbreviations in contexts other than postal addresses. According to the AP Stylebook, traditional abbreviations should be used in datelines and in text when used with the city. The United States Government Printing Office (GPO) used a specific set of abbreviations, with some states being unabbreviated, while some additional abbreviations were used by others, with varying degrees of popularity.