List of regions of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. Defunct, extinct or archaic regions are described in historic regions of the United States. (See also: Template:U.S. regions)

Contents 1 Interstate regions 1.1 Official U.S. regions 1.1.1 Bureau of Reclamation Regions 1.1.2 Census Bureau-designated areas 1.1.3 Standard Federal Regions 1.1.4 Judicial circuits 1.1.5 Federal Reserve banks 1.1.6 Time Zones 1.2 Unofficial U.S. regions 1.2.1 The "Belts" 1.2.2 Interstate metropolitan areas 1.2.3 Interstate megalopoleis 2 Intrastate regions 2.1 Alabama 2.2 Alaska 2.3 Arizona 2.4 Arkansas 2.5 California 2.6 Colorado 2.7 Connecticut 2.8 Delaware 2.9 Florida 2.10 Georgia 2.11 Hawaii 2.12 Idaho 2.13 Illinois 2.14 Indiana 2.15 Iowa 2.16 Kansas 2.17 Kentucky 2.18 Louisiana 2.19 Maine 2.20 Maryland 2.21 Massachusetts 2.22 Michigan 2.23 Minnesota 2.24 Mississippi 2.25 Missouri 2.26 Montana 2.27 Nebraska 2.28 Nevada 2.29 New Hampshire 2.30 New Jersey 2.31 New Mexico 2.32 New York 2.33 North Carolina 2.34 North Dakota 2.35 Ohio 2.36 Oklahoma 2.37 Oregon 2.38 Pennsylvania 2.39 Rhode Island 2.40 South Carolina 2.41 South Dakota 2.42 Tennessee 2.42.1 Grand Divisions 2.42.2 Geographic Divisions 2.43 Texas 2.44 Utah 2.45 Vermont

[edit] Interstate regions

[edit] Official U.S. regions

Regions defined in law or regulations by the federal government.

[edit] Bureau of Reclamation Regions

The Bureau of Reclamation divides the western United States into five regions:

• Great Plains Region - Billings, Montana
• Lower Colorado Region - Boulder City, Nevada
• Mid-Pacific Region - Sacramento, California
• Pacific Northwest Region - Boise, Idaho
• Upper Colorado Region - Salt Lake City, Utah

[edit] Census Bureau-designated areas

Regional divisions used by the United States Census Bureau

• Region 1 (Northeast)
  • Division 1 (New England)
  • Division 2 (Middle Atlantic)
• Region 2 (Midwest)
  • Division 3 (East North Central)
  • Division 4 (West North Central)
• Region 3 (South)
  • Division 5 (South Atlantic)
  • Division 6 (East South Central)
  • Division 7 (West South Central)
• Region 4 (West)
  • Division 8 (Mountain)
  • Division 9 (Pacific)

[edit] Standard Federal Regions

The ten standard Federal Regions were established by OMB (Office of Management and Budget) Circular A-105, "Standard Federal Regions," in April, 1974, and required for all executive agencies. In recent years, some agencies have tailored their field structures to meet program needs and facilitate interaction with local, state and regional counterparts. The OMB must still approve any departures, however.

• Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
• Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
• Region III: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
• Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
• Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
• Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma
• Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
• Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
• Region IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
• Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

[edit] Judicial circuits

As designated by Congress, the federal court system is divided into eleven judicial circuits, each with its own United States Court of Appeals. (There are also a District of Columbia Circuit and a Federal Circuit, both of which sit in Washington D.C. and have special, non-geographic jurisdictions.)

• 1^st Circuit (Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts)
• 2^nd Circuit (Courthouse in New York, New York)
• 3^rd Circuit (Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• 4^th Circuit (Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia)
• 5^th Circuit (Courthouse in New Orleans, Louisiana)
• 6^th Circuit (Courthouse in Cincinnati, Ohio)
• 7^th Circuit (Courthouse in Chicago, Illinois)
• 8^th Circuit (Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri)
• 9^th Circuit (meeting places vary from California to Alaska, but headquarters are in San Francisco, California)
• 10^th Circuit (Courthouse in Denver, Colorado)
• 11^th Circuit (Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia)

[edit] Federal Reserve banks

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 divided the country into twelve regions with a central Reserve Bank in each. The Federal Reserve Districts are as follows:

1. Boston
2. New York
3. Philadelphia
4. Cleveland
5. Richmond
6. Atlanta
7. Chicago
8. St Louis
9. Minneapolis
10. Kansas City
11. Dallas
12. San Francisco

[edit] Time Zones

Main article: United States time zones

• Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time Zone
• Alaska Standard Time Zone
• Pacific Standard Time Zone
• Mountain Standard Time Zone
• Central Standard Time Zone
• Eastern Standard Time Zone

[edit] Unofficial U.S. regions

• Appalachia
• American West
• Ark-La-Tex
• Baja Arizona
• Blackstone River Valley
• Border states:
  • Civil War Border States
  • International Border states
• The Carolinas
• Cascadia
• Central United States
• Champlain Valley
• Coastal States
• Colorado Plateau
• Continental United States
• Columbia River Basin
• The Dakotas
• Deep South
• Delmarva Peninsula
• Dixie
• Driftless Zone
• East Coast
• Eastern Seaboard
• Eastern United States
• Four Corners
• French Louisiana
• Frontier Strip
• Great American Desert
• Great Basin
• Great Lakes Region
• Great North Woods
• Great Plains
• Great Valley
• Gulf Coast
• Gulf South
• High Plains
• Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest)
• Interior Plains
• Intermountain States
• International Border states
• Lake Tahoe
• Llano Estacado
• Mid-Atlantic
• Middle America
• The Midwest
• Mississippi Delta
• Mississippi Valley
• Mojave Desert
• Mountain states
• New England
• New York/Tri-State
• Ohio Valley
• Ozarks
• Pacific States
• Pacific Northwest
• Palouse
• Piedmont
• Piney Woods
• Shawnee Hills
• Shenandoah Valley
• Siouxland
• Southeastern United States
• Southwest
• Southwest Extreme Triangle
• Susquehanna Valley
• Tennessee Valley
• Trans-Appalachia
• Upland South
• Upper Midwest
• The Virginias
• Waxhaws
• West Coast
• Western United States

[edit] The "Belts"

Main article: "Belt" regions of the United States

• Bible Belt
• Corn Belt
• Cotton Belt
• Grain Belt
• Rust Belt
• Snowbelt
• Sun Belt

[edit] Interstate metropolitan areas

• Augusta-Aiken Metropolitan Area
• Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
• Charlotte Metropolitan Area
• Chicagoland
• Delaware Valley
• Kansas City Metropolitan Area
• Kentuckiana - Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana
• Memphis Metropolitan Area
• Michiana
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul
• National Capital Region
• New York Metropolitan Area, the Tri-State Region
• Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area
• Portland Metropolitan Area
• Quad Cities
• Southeastern New England
• St. Louis Metropolitan Area
• Tri-Cities (Tennessee-Virginia)
• Twin Ports (Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Metropolitan Area

[edit] Interstate megalopoleis

• BosWash
• Cascadia megacity
• ChiPitts
• SanSan

[edit] Intrastate regions

[edit] Alabama

• Greater Birmingham
• Black Belt
• Central Alabama
• Alabama Gulf Coast
• Lower Alabama
• Mobile Bay
• North Alabama
• Northeast Alabama
• South Alabama

[edit] Alaska

• Arctic Alaska
• Alaskan Bush
• Alaska Interior
• Alaska North Slope
• Alaska Panhandle
• Aleutian Islands
• Kenai Peninsula
• Seward Peninsula
• South Central Alaska
• Southeast Alaska
• Southwest Alaska
• Tanana Valley

[edit] Arizona

Main article: Regions of Arizona

• Arizona Strip
• Grand Canyon
• North Central Arizona
• Northeast Arizona
• Northern Arizona
• Phoenix metropolitan area
• Southern Arizona

[edit] Arkansas

• Ozarks
• Ouachita Mountains
• Mississippi Alluvial Plain
• Western Arkansas
• West Gulf Coastal Plain
• Crowley's Ridge
• Arkansas River Valley
• Little Rock Metropolitan Area

[edit] California

• North Coast
• Sierra Nevada
• Owens Valley
• Central Valley
  • Sacramento Valley
    • Yuba-Sutter Area
      • Sutter Buttes
  • San Joaquin Valley
• Central Coast
  • Big Sur
  • Salinas Valley
• Northern California
  • San Francisco Bay Area
    • Silicon Valley
    • The Peninsula
    • Santa Clara Valley
    • North Bay
    • East Bay
  • Tri-Valley Area
  • Redwood Empire
  • Gold Country
  • Wine Country
    • Napa Valley
    • Russian River Valley
    • Sonoma Valley
  • Shasta Cascade
  • Yosemite
• SanSan
• Southern California
  • Tech Coast
  • Greater Los Angeles Area
    • Beach Cities
    • Conejo Valley
    • Crescenta Valley
    • East Los Angeles
    • Gateway Cities
    • Harbor Area
    • Palos Verdes Peninsula
    • Santa Clarita Valley
    • San Gabriel Valley
    • San Fernando Valley
    • South Bay
    • South Los Angeles
    • West Los Angeles
  • Inland Empire
    • Cucamonga Valley
    • Pomona Valley
    • Victor Valley
  • Imperial Valley
    • Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area)
  • Mojave Desert
    • • Antelope Valley
  • mountains
  • Orange County Area
  • San Diego Area
    • North County
• Channel Islands

[edit] Colorado

• Central Colorado
• The Eastern Plains
• Colorado Mineral Belt
• The Front Range
• Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area
• The High Rockies
• San Luis Valley
• The Western Slope
• Northwestern Colorado
• South-Central Colorado
• Southwestern Colorado

[edit] Connecticut

• Coastal Connecticut
• Connecticut Panhandle
• Inland Connecticut
• New York Metropolitan Area/Gold Coast
• Litchfield Hills
• Naugatuck River Valley
• Greater New Haven
• Greater Hartford
• Lower Connecticut River Valley
• Quiet Corner
• Southeastern Connecticut
• Southwestern Connecticut

[edit] Delaware

• Delaware Coast
• Delaware Valley
• Cape Region

[edit] Florida

• Big Bend
• Central Florida
  • Orlando Area
• First Coast
• Florida Keys
• Florida Panhandle
  • Emerald Coast
• Gold Coast
• Nature Coast
• North Central Florida
• South Florida
• Southwest Florida
• Space Coast
• Sun Coast
• Tampa Bay Area
• Treasure Coast

[edit] Georgia

• Central Savannah River Area
• Colonial Coast
• Georgia Mountains Region
• The Golden Isles of Georgia
• Historic South
• Inland Empire
• Metro Atlanta
• Southern Rivers

[edit] Hawaii

• Hawai‘i / Big Island
  • Puna District
• Kaho‘olawe
• Kaua‘i
• Lāna‘i
• Maui
• Moloka‘i
• Ni‘ihau
• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
• O‘ahu

[edit] Idaho

• Idaho Panhandle
• Magic Valley
• Southern Idaho
• Central Idaho
• North Idaho
• Eastern Idaho
• Magic Valley

[edit] Illinois

Main article: Regions of Illinois

• Chicagoland
• Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area
• Central Illinois
• Little Egypt
• Fox Valley
• Metro-East
• American Bottom
• The Tract
• Northwestern Illinois
• Southern Illinois
• Western Illinois

[edit] Indiana

• East Central Indiana
• Michiana
• Nine-County Region
• Northern Indiana
• Northwest Indiana
• Southern Indiana
• Wabash Valley

[edit] Iowa

• Iowa Great Lakes
• Loess Hills
• Quad Cities
• East-Central Iowa
• Eastern Iowa
• Great River Road
• Western Iowa

[edit] Kansas

• Cherokee Strip
• East-Central Kansas
• Santa Fe Trail
• Southeast Kansas

[edit] Kentucky

• The Bluegrass
• Central Kentucky
• Cumberland Plateau
• Eastern Mountain Coal Fields
• Northern Kentucky
• Pennyroyal Plateau
• The Purchase
• Western Coal Fields

[edit] Louisiana

• Acadiana

• Cajun Heartland
• River Parishes

• Central Louisiana (Cen-La)
• Florida Parishes
• Greater New Orleans
• North Louisiana

[edit] Maine

• Acadia
• Down East
• High Peaks
• Maine Highlands
• Maine North Woods
• Maine Southern Coast
• Mid Coast
• Penobscot Bay
• Western Maine Mountains / Maine Lake Country

[edit] Maryland

• Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
• Chesapeake Bay
• Maryland Eastern Shore
• Southern Maryland
• Western Maryland
• Capital Region

[edit] Massachusetts

• The Berkshires
• Cape Ann
• Cape Cod
• Central Massachusetts
• Greater Boston
• The Islands (includes Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket)
• Merrimack Valley
• MetroWest
• North Shore
• Pioneer Valley
• South Coast
• South Shore
• Western Massachusetts

[edit] Michigan

• Lower Peninsula
  • Metro Detroit
  • Northern Michigan
  • Central Michigan
  • Southern Michigan
  • Western Michigan
  • The Thumb
• Upper Peninsula
  • Copper Country
  • Keweenaw Peninsula

[edit] Minnesota

Main article: Regions of Minnesota

• Arrowhead Region
• Boundary Waters
• Buffalo Ridge
• Central Minnesota
• Coulee Region
• Iron Range
• Minnesota River Valley
• North Shore
• Northwest Angle
• Outstate
• Pipestone Region
• Red River Valley
• Southeast Minnesota
• Twin Cities Metro

[edit] Mississippi

• Golden Triangle
• Gulf Coast
• Natchez District
• Mississippi Delta
• Pine Belt

[edit] Missouri

• Little Dixie
• Missouri Bootheel
• Natchez Trace
• Northern Plains
• Ozarks

[edit] Montana

• Bighorn Country
• Eastern Montana
• The Flathead
• Glacier National Park
• South Central Montana
• Southwestern Montana
• Western Montana

[edit] Nebraska

• Nebraska Panhandle
• Northwest Nebraska
• Pine Ridge
• Rainwater Basin
• Sandhills
• Southeast Nebraska
• Wildcat Hills

[edit] Nevada

• Lake Tahoe
• Las Vegas Valley

[edit] New Hampshire

• Merrimack Valley (Golden Triangle)
  • Souhegan Valley
• Seacoast Region
• Monadnock Region
  • Connecticut River Valley
• Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
• Lakes Region
• White Mountains
  • Presidential Range
  • Pemigewasset Valley
  • Saco River Valley
• Great North Woods
• Western New Hampshire
• Central New Hampshire

[edit] New Jersey

• North Jersey
  • Skylands
    • Valley and Ridge
    • Highlands
  • Gateway
    • Gold Coast
    • Meadowlands
    • North Hudson
    • Pascack Valley
  • Delaware Valley
• South Jersey
  • Pine Barrens
  • Delaware Valley
• Jersey Shore
  • Bayshore

[edit] New Mexico

• Central New Mexico
• New Mexico Bootheel
• Eastern New Mexico
• Northern New Mexico

[edit] New York

• Downstate New York
  • New York Metropolitan Area
    • The Five Boroughs (New York City)
  • Long Island
    • The Hamptons
    • North Shore (Gold Coast)
    • South Shore
• Upstate New York
  • Western New York
    • The Holland Purchase
    • Burned-over district
  • Finger Lakes
  • Leatherstocking Country
  • Central New York
    • Central New York Military Tract
    • Phelps and Gorham Purchase
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Southern Tier
  • Capital District
  • North Country
    • Adirondack Mountains
  • Catskill Mountains
    • Borscht Belt
  • Hudson Valley
    • Shawangunk Ridge

[edit] North Carolina

• Mountains
  • Land of the Sky
    • Great Smoky Mountains
    • Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Foothills
• Piedmont
  • Piedmont Crescent
  • Metrolina (Metro Charlotte)
  • Piedmont Triad
  • Research Triangle (The Triangle)
• Coast
  • Crystal Coast
  • Inner Banks
  • Sandhills
  • Outer Banks

[edit] North Dakota

• Badlands
• Missouri Escarpment
• Missouri River Corridor
• Red River Valley

[edit] Ohio

• Connecticut Western Reserve
• Great Black Swamp
• The Lake Erie Islands
• Miami Valley
• Northeast Ohio
• Northwest Ohio
• Extreme southwest Ohio
• Greater Cincinnati
• sate water

[edit] Oklahoma

• Central Oklahoma
• Cherokee Outlet
• Green Country
• Little Dixie
• Northeastern Oklahoma
• Southeastern Oklahoma
• Southwestern Oklahoma
• Panhandle

[edit] Oregon

• Columbia River Gorge
• Eastern Oregon
• Harney Basin
• Mount Hood Corridor
• Oregon Coast
• Rogue Valley
• Tualatin Valley
• Western Oregon
• Willamette Valley

[edit] Pennsylvania

Main article: Pennsylvania Regions

• Allegheny National Forest
• Coal Region
• Cumberland Valley
• Delaware Valley
• Dutch Country
• Endless Mountains
• Happy Valley
• Pennsylvania Highlands
• Laurel Highlands
• Lehigh Valley
• Northern Tier
• Northeastern Pennsylvania
• Northwest Region
• Pittsburgh Metro Area
• The Poconos
• Susquehanna Valley
• Wyoming Valley
• Western Pennsylvania

[edit] Rhode Island

• Block Island
• Blackstone River Valley
• East Bay
• West Bay
• South County

[edit] South Carolina

• Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)
• Grand Strand
• Historic Charleston
• Greater Charleston
• Lake Murray Country
• The Lowcountry
• Metrolina
• Midlands
• Old 96 District
• Olde English District
• Pee Dee
• Santee Cooper Country
• South Carolina Coast
• Thoroughbred Country
• The UpCountry

[edit] South Dakota

• The Badlands
• Black Hills
• Coteau des Prairies

[edit] Tennessee

[edit] Grand Divisions

Each of the regions below is legally defined as a "Grand Division", with boundaries entrenched in the state's constitution. The document also has rules restricting geographic bias in the makeup of many state commissions. For example, the state's Supreme Court is required to sit in each of the three Grand Divisions each year, and no more than two of the Court's five Justices may reside in any one Grand Division.

• East Tennessee
• Middle Tennessee
• West Tennessee

[edit] Geographic Divisions

• Highland Rim
• Nashville Basin
• Tennessee Valley

[edit] Texas

• Big Bend
• Brazos Valley
• Central Texas
• East Texas
• Edwards Plateau
• Galveston Bay
• The Hill Country
• North Texas
  • Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
• Northeast Texas
• Permian Basin
• Piney Woods
• Rio Grande Valley
• South Plains
• South Texas
• Southeast Texas
  • Golden Triangle
  • Greater Houston
• Texas Panhandle
• West Texas
  • Coastal Plains

[edit] Utah

• Cache Valley
• Canyonlands Desert
• Colorado Plateau
• Dixie
• Great Salt Lake Desert
• Mojave Desert
• Southeastern Utah
• Southwestern Utah
• Uinta Mountains
• Wasatch Front
• Wasatch Back
• Wasatch Range

[edit] Vermont

• Northeast Kingdom
• Champlain Valley
• Mount Mansfield
• Green Mountains