Florida Guide > Miscellaneous
American States and Car Registration Plates
When we first visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, we could not help but notice the very interesting number plates on all the cars. Unlike the plain and somewhat boring number plates on UK cars, American cars show their state of origin, often with the state’s official nickname, or motto proudly displayed, together with a small picture.
So started our obsession with number plates!
We began to collect number plates - not the number plates themselves, of course, but we started to note down the states on the number plates that we saw along the way. We were amazed at how far some people had come and we soon had most of the states logged. We thought that Hawaii and Alaska might be difficult – and they were. It took us absolutely ages but finally, when we least expected it, there they were. We have only seen these once in all our many visits. The Disney car parks were a great source of number plates – and it just shows how popular these parks are to Americans from all over the USA.
It was a great way to learn all of the American States and the whole family joined in looking out for those elusive last few states. We now have 50 states logged with just two to go, and we aim to find all 52!
Below is a list of all the states, with their official and unofficial nicknames and mottoes - some states have more than one. Most are self explanatory, such as New York, the Empire State, named for its famous skyscraper. Others reflect the geography of the area, such as Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. Some show the agriculture of the state, such as Georgia, the Peach State, and Kansas, the Wheat State. For others it is history that decides its nickname, such as North Carolina, First in Flight, and Pennsylvania, the Liberty Bell State. Of course you are bound to know Florida’s nickname – the Sunshine State – as that is what it is so famous for!
So if you are in Orlando, and particularly at the parks, then join us in our Florida Licence Plate game and see if you can beat our record. It’s a great way for children to learn a little more about that huge and amazing country, the United States of America.
Alabama Stars Fell On/Cotton State
Alaska Last Frontier
Arizona Grand Canyon State
Arkansas The Natural State
California The Golden State
N. Carolina First in Flight/ Old North State
S. Carolina Nothing Could Be Finer/Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places/Palmetto State
Colorado The Mountain State? Centennial State
Connecticut Constitution State
N. Dakota Peace Garden State
S. Dakota Great Faces, Great Places/ Mount Rushmore State
Delaware The First State
Florida Sunshine State
Georgia The Peach State/On My Mind
Hawaii The Aloha State
Idaho The Gem State
Indiana Hoosier State
Illinois Land of Lincoln
Iowa Hawkeye State/The Corn State
Kansas The Wheat State/Sunflower State
Kentucky The Blue Grass State
Louisiana The Bayou State/The Pelican State
Maine A Natural Treasure/The Chesapeake State/Pine St State
Maryland Old Line State
Massachusetts Spirit of America/Bay State
Michigan Great Lakes State
Minnesota 10, 000 lakes/North Star State
Mississipp Hospitality State/Magnolia State
Missouri Show Me State
Montana Big Sky Country/Treasure State
Nebraska Corn Husker State
New Jersey Garden State
New York The Empire State
New Hampshire Granite State/Live Free Or Die
Nevada Silver State
New Mexico Land of Enchantment
Ohio The Birthplace of Aviation
Oklahoma Nature America/Sooner State
Oregon Pacific Wonderland/Beaver State
Pennsylvania Keystone State/Liberty Bell State
Rhode Island Ocean State
Tennessee Volunteer State
Texas The Lone Star State
Utah Beehive State/Mormon State
Vermont Green Mountain State
Virginia Old Dominion/Mother of Presidents
W. Virginia Mountain State
Washington Green Tree State
Wisconsin Dairy State/America’s Dairyland/Badger State
Wyoming Equality State/Like No Place on Earth
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