Free south states and capitals worksheets and quiz for the 16 South states, with a study chart, flash cards, joining order and a fact for every capital.
Grades 3 to 5Common Core SS.46 free PDFs with answer keys
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These free south states and capitals worksheets cover all 16 states in the South region, as the U.S. Census Bureau defines it: a study chart, fold-over flash cards, a write-the-capital quiz, matching, multiple choice and postal abbreviations, each with an answer key. Choose the South states, pick the worksheet and print the PDF.
South states and capitals to print (PDF)
These four pages show the south states and capitals worksheets: the study chart, the write-the-capital quiz, the multiple choice quiz and the fold-over flash cards. Click a picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to switch the direction, the number of questions or the paper size.
Study chartAll 16 states in order.PDFWrite the capital quizWith an answer key.PDFMultiple choiceFour answers each.PDFFold-over flash cardsState and capital.PDF
The 16 South states and their capitals
The Census Bureau divides the 50 states into four regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West. The South region has 16 states. Here they are in alphabetical order, with the capital, the postal abbreviation, the year the state joined the Union and its nickname:
The Census Bureau splits each region into divisions. The South region has 3:
Division
States
South Atlantic
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
East South Central
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
West South Central
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Learning one division at a time makes the south states and capitals worksheet even smaller, with 8, 4 and 4 states in each part.
South capitals list: a fact for each capital
A fact makes a capital easier to remember than a bare name. This south capitals list gives one for each state:
Capital
State
A fact to remember
Montgomery
Alabama
It stands on the Alabama River
Little Rock
Arkansas
It is named for a small rock formation on the Arkansas River
Dover
Delaware
It is the capital of the first state
Tallahassee
Florida
It is in the Florida Panhandle
Atlanta
Georgia
It is the largest city in Georgia
Frankfort
Kentucky
It stands on the Kentucky River
Baton Rouge
Louisiana
It is French for red stick
Annapolis
Maryland
It is home to the U.S. Naval Academy
Jackson
Mississippi
It is named for Andrew Jackson
Raleigh
North Carolina
It is named for Sir Walter Raleigh
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
It is the largest city in Oklahoma
Columbia
South Carolina
It is near the middle of the state
Nashville
Tennessee
It is known as Music City
Austin
Texas
It is named for Stephen F. Austin
Richmond
Virginia
It stands on the James River
Charleston
West Virginia
It stands on the Kanawha River
South states and capitals quiz: what is in the PDF
The generator prints six kinds of worksheet for the South states. This south states and capitals quiz table shows how many pages each one has, including the answer key:
Printable
What it is
Pages (with answer key)
Study chart
Every state with its capital, in alphabetical order
1
Write the capital quiz
Write the capital of each state, or the state of each capital; the key is on the last page
3
Matching
Join each state to its capital
3
Multiple choice
Choose the capital from four answers
3
Abbreviations
Write the two-letter postal abbreviation
2
Fold-over flash cards
The state on one side and the capital on the other
2
You can switch the quiz to go from the capital to the state, which is harder. The questions can be listed A to Z, by region or shuffled, and the flash cards and chart can be sorted the same way.
How the South states joined the Union
The order in which the states joined is a good way to organize a study of the south region. This table lists the 16 states in the order of statehood:
Order in the Union
State
Year
1
Delaware
1787
4
Georgia
1788
7
Maryland
1788
8
South Carolina
1788
10
Virginia
1788
12
North Carolina
1789
15
Kentucky
1792
16
Tennessee
1796
18
Louisiana
1812
20
Mississippi
1817
22
Alabama
1819
25
Arkansas
1836
27
Florida
1845
28
Texas
1845
35
West Virginia
1863
46
Oklahoma
1907
And this table groups the same states by the period when they joined:
When the state joined
Number of states
Which states
Before 1800
8
Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee
South states worksheet: spelling and pronunciation
The longest state name in the South is North Carolina with 13 letters, and the shortest is Texas with 5. The longest capital name is Oklahoma City (12 letters), and the shortest is Dover (5). The capitals Dover and Oklahoma City start with the same letter as their states. These are the names that cause the most mistakes:
Word
How to say or spell it
Arkansas
AR-kun-saw
Louisiana
loo-ee-zee-AN-uh
Mississippi
miss-ih-SIP-ee
Tennessee
ten-uh-SEE
Baton Rouge
BAT-un ROOZH
South capitals named for people
Many capitals are named for people, and a story helps you remember them:
Capital
Named for
Jackson
Andrew Jackson, the seventh president
Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh, the English explorer
Austin
Stephen F. Austin, a founder of Texas
Nashville
Francis Nash, a Revolutionary War general
Montgomery
Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War general
Annapolis
Princess Anne, later Queen Anne
Facts about the South region and its states and capitals
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, on December 7, 1787.
Texas, Oklahoma and Florida joined in 1845 and 1907, much later than the original southern states.
The South has the most states of the four regions, with 16, and also includes the District of Columbia.
Mississippi has the double letters ss and pp, and Tennessee has the three e’s, so both need careful spelling.
South states and capitals: five quiz tips
Start with the map. Find each of the south states on a map first, and then add the capitals. A child who can place Alabama knows where to look for Montgomery.
Say the pair as one phrase. “West Virginia, Charleston” is easier to remember than two separate words.
Use the fold-over cards. Look at the state, say the capital, then check the other side. This is the quickest way to learn the south states and capitals.
Quiz in both directions. Ask for the capital of West Virginia, then ask which state has Montgomery as its capital.
Spell the capitals aloud. Capitals with two words, such as Little Rock, are often written with only the first word.
A week of practice with the south states and capitals
This plan for the south states and capitals uses one printable a day and takes about ten minutes. It finishes with a quiz that children can score themselves:
Day
Printable
Goal
Monday
Study chart, read aloud
Say each state and capital twice
Tuesday
Fold-over flash cards
Quiz a partner
Wednesday
Matching and abbreviations
Match without the chart
Thursday
Multiple choice
Spot the capital among the choices
Friday
Write the capital quiz
Score yourself with the key
Children in grades 3 to 5 usually learn the states and capitals, and learning one region at a time keeps each south states and capitals quiz short.
Printing tip
Print at 100% or “Actual size” and turn off “Fit to page”, so every measurement on the sheet is exact. Choose Letter or A4 paper in the generator before you download the PDF.
South states and capitals: frequently asked questions
Why learn states by region?
Nine to sixteen states at a time is far easier than fifty, and regions match how many classes teach U.S. geography.
Which regions are used?
The four U.S. Census Bureau regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
How many states are in the South region?
There are 16 states in the South region.
Can I quiz from the capital to the state?
Yes. Choose “Capital to state” in the generator for a harder south states and capitals quiz.
Are the south states and capitals worksheets free?
Yes. They are free to print for home and classroom use, with no sign-up.
