About this deck

These cards show the two-letter postal abbreviation on the front and the full state name on the back. All 50 states are included, plus DC for the District of Columbia.

The abbreviations are the official US Postal Service codes, the same ones used on mailing addresses, forms and shipping labels.

Several codes look alike (MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT), so practice both directions: once code → state feels easy, flip the deck and practice state → code.

Study tips

• Tackle the eight M states as one group; they cause most of the mistakes.
• Watch for codes that are not simply the first two letters, such as AK, AZ, CT, GA, IA, KY, LA, MS, NV, PA, TN, TX and VT.
• States with two words use their initials: NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, RI, SC, SD, WV.
• Practice by writing a mock address for each state after you flip a card.