Historical regions of the United States


The territory of the United States and its overseas possessions has evolved over time, from the colonial era to the present day. It includes formally organized territories, proposed and failed states, unrecognized breakaway states, international and interstate purchases, cessions, and land grants, and historical military departments and administrative districts. The last section lists informal regions from American vernacular geography known by popular nicknames and linked by geographical, cultural, or economic similarities, some of which are still in use today.
For a more complete list of regions and subdivisions of the United States used in modern times, see List of regions of the United States.

Colonial era (before 1776)

Thirteen Colonies

Pre-Revolutionary War regions

† - indicates failed legal entities

New England

Mid-Atlantic

Southern

Interior

Far West

Unlike the land to the east, most of the land west of the Mississippi River was under French or Spanish rule until the first years of the 19th century.

Colonies settled but unrecognized

Colonies proposed but unrealized

Independent entities later joined to the Union

Regions purchased from foreign powers

Regions annexed from or ceded by foreign powers

Ceded or purchased Native American regions

Interstate, territorial, and federal cessions

The following are state cessions made during the building of the U.S.

Former organized territories

The following is a list of the 31 U.S. territories that have become states, in the order of the date organized :

Internal land grants, cessions, districts, departments, claims and settlements

The following are land grants, cessions, defined districts or named settlements made within an area that was already part of a U.S. state or territory that did not involve international treaties or Native American cessions or land purchases.

Alaska

Colorado

Iowa

Nebraska

New York

Ohio

Oklahoma

Indian reserves

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

  • Congressional Reservation
  • Greene's Reserve
  • North Carolina Military Reservation
  • Western Purchase

Federal military districts and departments

These entities were sometimes the only governmental authority in the listed areas, although they often co-existed with civil governments in scarcely populated states and territories. Civilian administered "military" tracts, districts, departments, etc., will be listed elsewhere.

Central United States

Pacific area

During the American Civil War, the Department of the Pacific had six subordinate military districts:
The Department of California comprised the southern part of the Department of the Pacific: California, Nevada, and southern part of Oregon Territory; merged into the Department of the Pacific as the District of California.
The Department of Oregon comprised the northern part of the Department of the Pacific: Washington Territory and Oregon Territory.

The south

  • Department of the Gulf Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas.
  • Trans-Mississippi . Formerly "Military Dept. 2"; Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Indian Territory, Kansas, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River.

The west

Retroceded possessions and overseas territories

Functioning but non-sanctioned territories

These "territories" had actual, functioning governments :

Civil War-related

These are functioning governments created as a result of the attempted secession of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Some were enclaves within enemy-held territories:
These were regions disassociated from neighboring areas due to opposing views:

Regional nicknames

Belts

Belts are loosely defined sub-regions found throughout the United States that are named for a perceived commonality among the included areas, which is often related to the region's economy or climate.