USA word search: all 50 states
All 50 US states hide across three boards on this page: thirteen on the 12x12 you can play here, eighteen long names on a 15x15 and the last nineteen on an 18x18. A 10x10 kids sheet is a bonus.
Curated by 
Esme Rook
·
Updated October 2026
Play it right here
Drag across the letters to select a word. Words hide across, down and diagonally, forwards and backwards. Works with mouse and touch.
Which states are on each board?
The playable 12x12 holds thirteen: Ohio, Texas, Maine, Utah, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Georgia and Kansas. The 15x15 takes the eighteen long names: California, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey. The 18x18 finishes the map with the other nineteen: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
No state sits on two of these three boards. 13 + 18 + 19 = 50, so a class that clears all three sheets has found every state exactly once.
Tips for spotting state names
Two word names lose their space in the grid: NEW HAMPSHIRE is hidden as NEWHAMPSHIRE and RHODE ISLAND as RHODEISLAND. On the 18x18, hunt the rare letters first. ARIZONA owns the only Z on that list and NEW MEXICO the only X. On the 15x15, double letters give names away: MISSISSIPPI carries SS, SS and PP, TENNESSEE carries NN, SS and EE, and MASSACHUSETTS carries SS and TT. On the 12x12, OHIO, UTAH and IOWA are the four letter names, and short words like these tend to hide longest.
Ideas for the classroom
Hand out a blank US map with the sheets and color in each state as it is found. When all fifty are done, sort them into the four Census regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West. The 10x10 kids sheet places its words only across and down, so it suits younger readers who are not ready for backwards or diagonal words.
Frequently asked questions
Does this word search really have all 50 states?
Yes, across the three main boards, with each state used once. The kids sheet is extra practice: it repeats eight short names from the 12x12.
Is there an answer key?
Every board has its own solution PDF, a separate file, so the copies you hand out give nothing away. The 12x12 also plays on screen, where each word you find locks in color.
Are state capitals included?
No. This page is state names only, so a capitals lesson can follow without spoiling it.
Four sheets to print
Board 1: the 12x12 on this page
Thirteen states from Ohio and Utah to Florida and Georgia, the same grid you can play above, in all eight directions.
Board 2: eighteen long names, 15x15
California to New Jersey: the eighteen longest state names, double letters and all, hidden in every direction on a 15x15.
Board 3: the last nineteen states, 18x18
Alabama to Wyoming: the nineteen states not on boards 1 and 2, so the three sheets together cover all fifty.
Bonus: 10x10 for younger kids
Eight short state names such as Ohio, Iowa and Utah, placed only across and down, never backwards or diagonal.
More US word searches
For America's past, try the history word search. Ballpark and court vocabulary are on the baseball word search and the basketball word search, and game day is on the football word search. Prefer clues? The geography crossword puzzle covers continents, oceans and capitals.
