Geography Quiz Arcade

Guess the State by Shape

One US state outline, four choices. How many of the 50 shapes do you know?

One US state outline, four names. Every shape is drawn to fill the frame, so size gives nothing away — only the outline does.

How it works

Each round shows a single state's outline, scaled to fill the box, and four state names. Pick the right one; a wrong pick shows the answer. Ten rounds a game, drawn at random from all 50 states.

Shapes that are easy once you see them

  • Oklahoma — the pan with the long handle.
  • Idaho — tall and narrow at the top, wide at the bottom.
  • Tennessee — a long, thin parallelogram.
  • Michigan — two peninsulas (the outline shows both).
  • Florida — the peninsula hanging off a panhandle.
  • Louisiana — the boot.
  • Maryland — a jagged strip split by the Chesapeake Bay.

The hard ones

Colorado and Wyoming are both near-rectangles with almost the same proportions, and so are North Dakota and South Dakota. Look for small details: South Dakota's eastern edge is ragged along the rivers, while North Dakota's is almost straight.

For the full map version, play the US states map quiz; for world shapes, the country silhouette quiz.

Frequently asked questions

Can I guess the state by its size?

No. Every outline is scaled to fill the frame, so Rhode Island looks as big as Texas. It is a test of shape alone.

Are Alaska and Hawaii included?

Yes, all 50 states can appear.

Is it free?

Yes. No signup and unlimited games; your best score is saved in your browser.

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