Many regions in the United States are defined in law or regulations by the federal government.
Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions
The United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions. The Census Bureau region definition is "widely used … for data collection and analysis," and is the most commonly used classification system.
Regional divisions used by the United States Census Bureau:
Region 1: Northeast
Division 1: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
Division 2: Mid-Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania)
Region 2: Midwest (Prior to June 1984, the Midwest Region was designated as the North Central Region.)Division 3: East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin)
Division 4: West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota)
Region 3: South
Division 5: South Atlantic (Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, and West Virginia)
Division 6: East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee)
Division 7: West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas)
Region 4: West
Division 8: Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming)
Division 9: Pacific (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington)
Puerto Rico and other US territories are not part of any census region or census division.
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. However, the OMB must still approve any departures.
Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
Region III: Delaware, District of Columbia, 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, Oklahoma, Texas
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
The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 divided the country into twelve districts with a central Federal Reserve Bank in each district. These twelve Federal Reserve Banks together form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States.
- Boston
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Cleveland
- Richmond
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- St. Louis
- Minneapolis
- Kansas City
- Dallas
- San Francisco
Samoa Time Zone (American Samoa)
Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone (Hawaii)
Alaska Time Zone (Alaska)
Pacific Time Zone
Mountain Time Zone
Central Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
Atlantic Time Zone (Puerto Rico)
Chamorro Time Zone (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands)
First Circuit
Second Circuit
Third Circuit
Fourth Circuit
Fifth Circuit
Sixth Circuit
Seventh Circuit
Eighth Circuit
Ninth Circuit
Tenth Circuit
Eleventh Circuit
DC Circuit
The Federal Circuit is not a regional circuit. Its jurisdiction is nationwide, but based on subject matter.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis defines regions for comparison of economic data.
New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont
Mideast: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Plains: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Southeast: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia
Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Rocky Mountain: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming
Far West: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington
The Energy Information Administration currently uses the PADD system established by Petroleum Administration for War in World War II. It is used for data collection on refining petroleum and its products. Each PADD is subdivided into refining districts.
PADD I: East Coast
East Coast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida; along with counties in New York east of, north of and including Cayuga, Tompkins, and Chemung; and counties in Pennsylvania east of and including Bradford, Sullivan, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Dauphin and York.
Appalachian No. 1: West Virginia along with counties of Pennsylvania and New York State not mentioned above.
PADD II: Midwest
Indiana-Illinois-Kentucky: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio
Minnesota-Wisconsin-North and South Dakota: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota
Oklahoma-Kansas-Missouri: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa
PADD III: Gulf Coast
Texas Gulf Coast: The Texan counties of Newton, Orange, Jefferson, Jasper, Tyler, Hardin, Liberty, Chambers, Polk, San Jacinto, Montgomery, Harris, Galveston, Waller, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Wharton, Matagorda, Jackson, Victoria, Calhoun, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron
Texas Inland: Texan counties not mentioned above.
Louisiana Gulf Coast: Parishes of Louisiana south of, and including Vernon, Rapides, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, Saint Helena, Tangipahoa and Washington; along with Pearl River, Stone, George, Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson County of Mississippi; and Alabama's Mobile and Baldwin County.
North Louisiana-Arkansas: Arkansas and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama not mentioned above.
New Mexico: New Mexico
PADD IV: Rocky Mountain: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah
PADD V: West Coast: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii
PADD I can also be subdivided into 3 Subdistricts:
Sub-PAD 1A: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Sub-PAD 1B: Central Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia)
Sub-PAD 1C: Lower Atlantic (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia)
PADD system was established in World War II and therefore don't accurately reflect current trends. The EIA has updated the PADD system with a complimentary set of regions to reflect this and will change it to suite current needs. (Note: Region 9 includes countries not part of the USA but is included for the sake of completion since it contains Puerto Rico)
Region 1: PADD I
Region 2: PADD II "Inland" (States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee and Kentucky)
Region 3: PADD II "Lakes" (States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio)
Region 4: PADD III "Gulf" (Refining districts of Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana Gulf Coast)
Region 5: PADD III "Inland" (Refining districts of Texas Inland, New Mexico and North Louisiana-Arkansas)
Region 6: PADD IV
Region 7: PADD V "California" (State of California)
Region 8: PADD V "Other" (States of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington)
Region 9: "International"
Maritime Canada (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick)
Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago)
Arizona Sun Corridor
California
Cascadia
Great Lakes
Northeast megalopolis
Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion (PAM)
Alabama Gulf Coast
Greater Birmingham
Black Belt
Central Alabama
Lower Alabama
Mobile Bay
North Alabama
Northeast Alabama
Northwest Alabama
South Alabama
Alaska Interior
Alaska North Slope
Alaska Panhandle
Aleutian Islands
Arctic Alaska
The Bush
Kenai Peninsula
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Seward Peninsula
Southcentral Alaska
Southwest Alaska
Tanana Valley
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Arizona Strip
Grand Canyon
North Central Arizona
Northeast Arizona
Northern Arizona
Phoenix metropolitan area
Southern Arizona
Arkansas Delta
Arkansas River Valley
Arkansas Timberlands
Central Arkansas
Crowley's Ridge
Northwest Arkansas
South Arkansas
Central Colorado (part of Southern Rocky Mountains)
Colorado Eastern Plains (part of High Plains and Great Plains)
Colorado Front Range (part of Front Range Urban Corridor)
Colorado Mineral Belt (part of Southern Rocky Mountains)
Colorado Piedmont (contains parts of the Front Range Urban Corridor and High Plains)
Colorado Western Slope (part of Southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau)
Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area (part of Front Range Urban Corridor)
High Rockies (part of Southern Rocky Mountains)
Northwestern Colorado (part of Southern Rocky Mountains)
San Luis Valley
South-Central Colorado (part of Front Range Urban Corridor)
Southwestern Colorado (part of Southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau)
In Connecticut, there are 14 official regions, each with a regional government that serves for the absence of county government in Connecticut. There are also a fair number of unofficial regions in Connecticut with no regional government.
Central Naugatuck Valley
Coastal Connecticut
Connecticut panhandle
Greater Bridgeport
Greater New Haven
Greater Hartford
Housatonic Valley (shared with Massachusetts)
Litchfield Hills
Lower Connecticut River Valley
Naugatuck River Valley
New York Metropolitan Area/Gold Coast
Southeastern Connecticut
Southwestern Connecticut
"Upstate" or "Up North"
Delaware Valley also known as "Above the Canal" (referring to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal)
"Slower Lower"
Cape Region
Central Kent
Delaware coast
Directional regions
Central Florida
North Florida
Northwest Florida
North Central Florida
Northeast Florida
South Florida
Southwest Florida
Local vernacular regions
Big Bend
Emerald Coast
First Coast
Florida Heartland
Florida Keys
Florida Panhandle
Forgotten Coast
Glades
Gold Coast
Halifax area (also Surf Coast and Fun Coast)
Red Hills
Nature Coast
Space Coast
Suncoast
Tampa Bay Area
Treasure Coast
Atlanta metropolitan area
Central Georgia
Central Savannah River Area
Colonial Coast
Golden Isles of Georgia
Historic South
North Georgia
North Georgia mountains (Northeast Georgia)
Southern Rivers
Southeast Georgia
Wiregrass Region
Appalachian Plateau
Blue Ridge Mountains
Coastal Plain
Piedmont
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
Hawaii / Big Island
Hamakua Coast
Puna District
Kahoolawe
Kauai
Lānai
Maui
Molokai
Niihau
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Oahu
Central Idaho
Eastern Idaho
Idaho Panhandle
Magic Valley
North Central Idaho
Palouse Hills
Southern Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
Treasure Valley
American Bottom
Central Illinois
Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area
Chicago metropolitan area
Driftless Area
Forgottonia
Fox Valley
Metro-East
Metro Lakeland
Military Tract of 1812
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
North Shore
Northern Illinois
Northwestern Illinois
Peoria, Illinois metropolitan area
Quad Cities
River Bend
Rock River Valley
Shawnee Hills
Southern Illinois (sometimes, Little Egypt)
Streatorland
Tri-State Area
Wabash Valley
East Central Indiana
Indianapolis metropolitan area
Michiana
Northern Indiana
Northwest Indiana
Southern Indiana
Southwestern Indiana
Wabash Valley
Coteau des Prairies
Des Moines metropolitan area
Dissected Till Plains
Driftless Area
Great River Road
Honey Lands
Iowa Great Lakes
Loess Hills
Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area
Quad Cities
Siouxland
East-Central Kansas
Flint Hills
High Plains
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
North Central Kansas
Osage Plains
Ozarks
Red Hills
Santa Fe Trail
Smoky Hills
Southeast Kansas
The Bluegrass
Central Kentucky
Cumberland Plateau
Eastern Kentucky Coalfield
Kentucky Bend
The Knobs
Northern Kentucky
Pennyroyal Plateau
South Central Kentucky
The Purchase
Western Coal Fields
Acadiana
Cajun Heartland
River Parishes
Central Louisiana (Cen-La)
Florida Parishes
French Louisiana (Acadiana + Greater New Orleans)
Greater New Orleans
North Louisiana
Maine
Acadia
Down East
High Peaks / Maine Highlands
Kennebec Valley
Maine Highlands
Maine Lake Country
Maine North Woods
Mid Coast
Penobscot Bay
Southern Maine Coast
Western Maine Mountains
Maryland
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
Capital region
Chesapeake Bay
Eastern Shore of Maryland
Patapsco Valley
Southern Maryland
Western Maryland
Western Shore of Maryland
Regions shared with other states:
Allegheny Mountains
Atlantic coastal plain
Blue Ridge Mountains
Cumberland Valley
Delaware Valley
Delmarva Peninsula consists of Maryland's and Virginia's Eastern Shore and all of Delaware
Piedmont (United States)
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
Western Massachusetts
The Berkshires (map shown, right)
Housatonic Valley
Pioneer Valley
Quabbin-Swift River Valley
Central Massachusetts
MetroWest
Montachusett-North County
South County
Blackstone River Valley
Northeastern Massachusetts
North Shore
Merrimack Valley
Cape Ann
Greater Boston
Southeastern Massachusetts
Cape Cod and Islands
South Coast
South Shore
Lower Peninsula
Northern Michigan
Leelanau Peninsula
Central/Mid-Michigan
The Thumb
West Michigan
Michiana
Southeast Michigan
Metro Detroit
Upper Peninsula
Copper Country
Keweenaw Peninsula
Arrowhead Region
Boundary Waters
Buffalo Ridge
Central Minnesota
Coulee Region
Iron Range
Minnesota River Valley
North Shore
Northwest Angle
Pipestone Region
Red River Valley
Southeast Minnesota
Twin Cities Metro
Golden Triangle
Mississippi Alluvial Plain
Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Natchez District
North Mississippi
Pine Belt
Tennessee Valley
Bootheel
Dissected Till Plains
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Lead Belt
Little Dixie
Natchez Trace
Ozarks
St. Louis Metropolitan Area
Big Horn Mountains
Eastern Montana
The Flathead
Glacier Country
Glacier National Park
Regional designations of Montana
South Central Montana
Southwestern Montana
Two Medicine
Western Montana
Yellowstone National Park
Nebraska Panhandle
Northwest Nebraska
Pine Ridge
Rainwater Basin
Sand Hills
Southeast Nebraska
South Central Nebraska
Wildcat Hills
Black Rock Desert
Lake Tahoe
Las Vegas Valley
Mojave Desert
Pahranagat Valley
Sierra Nevada
Connecticut River Valley
Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region (overlaps with Connecticut River Valley)
Great North Woods Region
Lakes Region
Merrimack Valley
Golden Triangle
Monadnock Region (overlaps with Connecticut River Valley)
Seacoast Region
White Mountains
North Jersey
Skylands
Amwell Valley
Black Dirt Region (shared with New York)
Great Valley
Sussex County Snow Belt
Hunterdon Plateau
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
Highlands
Somerset Hills
The Sourlands
Gateway
Chemical Coast/Soundshore
Hudson Waterfront
North Hudson
Meadowlands
Pascack Valley
Raritan Bayshore
West Hudson
Central Jersey
Bayshore
Jersey Shore
Shore Region
South Jersey
Shore Region
Northern Headlands
Irish Riviera
Pine Barrens
Delaware Valley
Pine Barrens
The Sourlands
Southern Shore
Cape May
The Glades
Tri Cities (Bridgeton, Millville, Vineland)
Tri-County Farm Belt
Greater Atlantic City
Pine Barrens
Central Corridor Piedmont Region
Central New Mexico
Eastern New Mexico
New Mexico Bootheel
Northern New Mexico
Downstate New York
New York metropolitan area
The Five Boroughs (New York City)
Long Island
Nassau County
Suffolk County
The Hamptons
North Shore (Gold Coast)
South Shore
Westchester County
Rockland County
Putnam County
Upstate New York
Erie Canal Corridor
New York State Canal System
New York State Canalway Trail
Western New York
Holland Purchase
Burned-over district
Finger Lakes
former Leatherstocking Country (now the Central New York Region)
Central New York
Central New York Military Tract
Phelps and Gorham Purchase
Syracuse metropolitan area
Mohawk Valley
Southern Tier
Capital District
North Country
Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Park
Ski country
Thousand Islands
Tug Hill
Catskill Mountains
Borscht Belt
Hudson Valley
Shawangunk Ridge
Black Dirt Region (shared with New Jersey)
Western North Carolina
Foothills Region
South Mountains
The Unifour (Catawba Valley Area)
High Country (Boone Area)
Land of the Sky
Asheville Metropolitan Area
Great Craggy Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
Black Mountains
Brushy Mountains
Great Balsam Mountains
Unaka Mountains
Unicoi Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
Tennessee Valley
Central North Carolina
Piedmont Crescent
Metropolitan Charlotte (Metrolina)
Lake Norman Area
Metropolitan Piedmont Triad
Sauratown Mountains
Uwharrie Mountains
Yadkin Valley
The Research Triangle
New Hope Valley
Triangle East
Eastern North Carolina
Fayetteville Metropolitan Area
Inner Banks
Albemarle
Global TransPark Economic Development Area
Tidewater
Lower Cape Fear (Wilmington Area)
Outer Banks
Crystal Coast
Bogue Banks
Down East
Sandhills
Badlands
Missouri Escarpment
Missouri River Corridor
Red River Valley
Allegheny Plateau
Appalachian Ohio
Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area
Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area
Connecticut Western Reserve (historic, now defunct)
Great Black Swamp (shared with Indiana)
The Lake Erie Islands
Miami Valley
Northeast Ohio (often used interchangeably with Greater Cleveland, but also includes the counties of Ashtabula, Portage, Summit, Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana.)
Northwest Ohio
Central Oklahoma
Cherokee Outlet
Green Country
Kiamichi Country
Little Dixie
Northwestern Oklahoma
Panhandle
South Central Oklahoma
Southwestern Oklahoma
Cascade Range
Central Oregon
Columbia Plateau
Columbia River
Columbia River Gorge
Eastern Oregon
Goose Lake Valley
Harney Basin
High Desert
Hood River Valley
Mount Hood Corridor
Northwest Oregon
Oregon Coast
Palouse
Portland metropolitan area
Rogue Valley
Southern Oregon
Treasure Valley
Tualatin Valley
Warner Valley
Western Oregon
Willamette Valley
Allegheny National Forest
Coal Region
Cumberland Valley
Delaware Valley
Dutch Country
Endless Mountains
Highlands Region
Laurel Highlands
Lehigh Valley
Main Line
Northern Tier
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northwest Region
Pittsburgh metropolitan area
The Poconos
South Central Pennsylvania
Susquehanna Valley
Western Pennsylvania
Wyoming Valley
Rhode Island
Blackstone Valley
East Bay
West Bay
South County
The Lowcountry
The Midlands
The Upstate
Travel/Tourism locations
Grand Strand
Lake Murray Country
The Lowcountry & Resort Islands
Old 96 District
Olde English District
Pee Dee
Santee Cooper Country
Other geographical distinctions
Blue Ridge Mountains
Charleston metropolitan area
Coastal South Carolina
Columbia metropolitan area
The Piedmont
Rock Hill, South Carolina Area
The Sandhills
Sea Islands
East River and West River, divided by the Missouri River
Badlands
Black Hills
Coteau des Prairies
East Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
West Tennessee
Other geographical distinctions:
Highland Rim
Nashville Basin
Tennessee Valley
Brazos Valley
Central Texas
Texas blackland prairies
The Hill Country
Gulf Coast
Galveston Bay
Greater Houston
East Texas
Piney Woods and Northeast Texas
North Texas
Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex
Texoma
South Texas
Mission Country
Rio Grande Valley
Southeast Texas
Golden Triangle
Greater Houston
Texas Midwest/West-Central Texas (includes Abilene, San Angelo, Brownwood, Texas)
Texas Urban Triangle (Houston to San Antonio to Dallas-Fort Worth)
West Texas
Concho Valley
Edwards Plateau
Llano Estacado (a portion of northwest Texas)
Permian Basin
South Plains (includes 24 counties south of the Texas Panhandle and north of the Permian Basin)
Texas Panhandle (pictured)
Trans-Pecos
Great Plains
Cache Valley
Colorado Plateau
Dixie
Great Salt Lake Desert
Mojave Desert
San Rafael Swell
Southeastern Utah
Southwestern Utah
Uinta Mountains
Wasatch Back
Wasatch Front
Wasatch Range
Burlington metropolitan area
Champlain Valley
Green Mountains
Mount Mansfield
Northeast Kingdom
Eastern Shore
Hampton Roads
Historic Triangle
Northern Neck
Northern Virginia
Greater Richmond Region
Shenandoah Valley
South Hampton Roads
Southside Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Tidewater
Tri-Cities
Virginia Peninsula
Central Washington
Columbia Plateau
Eastern Washington
Kitsap Peninsula
Long Beach Peninsula
Okanagan Country
Olympic Mountains
Olympic Peninsula
Puget Sound
Rocky Mountains
San Juan Islands
Skagit Valley
Tri-Cities
Walla Walla Valley
Western Washington
Yakima Valley
Eastern Panhandle
North-Central West Virginia
Northern Panhandle
Potomac Highlands
Southern West Virginia
Apostle Islands
Central Plain
Chippewa Valley
Door Peninsula
Driftless Region
Eastern Ridges and Lowlands
Four Lakes Region
Fox River Valley
Kettle Moraine
Lake Superior Lowland
Menomonee Valley
Northern Highland
Southeastern Wisconsin
Western Upland
Bighorn Basin
Grand Teton
Powder River Country
Yellowstone National Park
Regions of the Boy Scouts of America
Central Region
Northeast Region
Southern Region
Western Region
