US States That Start With The Letter M

Eight of the states which make up the United States have names which start with the letter “M.” These states are, in no particular order, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Missouri, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Maine. The states differ in size and population. The largest of the eight states is Montana which is 0.147 million square miles in size, while the smallest is Massachusetts which covers an area of 10,565 square miles. Michigan is the most populous of the eight states, with a population of over 9.962 million people.

Maryland

Maryland is one of the smallest states that make up the US, covering an area of 12,407 square miles. The state is notable for having the highest median household income of any state in the country, which stands at $73,594. The state gets its name from Queen Mary. King Charles I, the queen’s husband reigned over Great Britain when George Calvert requested the king’s permission to set up a colony in the New World. When founding the colony, George had suggested it be known as “Crescentia,” but the king directed it be known as Mary Land. Sharing the name of the new colony was its first capital city, St. Mary’s City.

Massachusetts

A small state in size, Massachusetts occupies an area of 10,565 square miles. Inhabitants of the state reside in the urban regions, with an estimated 80% of all Bay Staters residing in the Greater Boston region. Boston doubles up as the largest city and the state capital of Massachusetts. The state is named in honor of the Massachusetts tribes who were the indigenous inhabitants of the region and predate European settlement. Originally known as Plymouth, the state was the first to be established as a colony. Pilgrims set up the colony after arriving in North America in 1620.

Michigan

Michigan covers an area of 96,716 square miles making it the 11th largest state in the country. The state’s largest city, Detroit, is notable for having the largest metropolitan economy in the country. The state’s name is derived from the Ojibwe name for the lake “mishigamaa” which translates to “big lake.” Michigan was originally a French colony and was administered as part of New France before it fell into the hands of the British in 1762 in the wake of the French-Indian War. During independence, the state was part of the Northwest Territory and was recognized as a state in 1837.

Minnesota

The state of Minnesota is situated north of the country (it is the northernmost state outside Alaska) where it covers an area of 86,936 square miles. The state got its name from the Minnesota River whose name in the Dakota language means “clear blue water.” Minneapolis, which is the state’s most populous city, has a similar name to the state. Minnesota was originally part of Spanish Louisiana and only became a state in 1858. The state is renowned for its high number of lakes which earns it the nickname “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Unifying Characteristics

Despite each state having individual characteristics, the eight states have some things in common. One obvious characteristic that the eight states share is that they are all governed under federal law of the United States. Additionally, all the eight states are situated in the contiguous United States.