WheelWhirl

US States Wheel – Spin to Pick a Random United States State

About this US states wheel

The US States Wheel includes all 50 states of the American union. Social studies teachers, homeschool parents, and trivia enthusiasts use this tool to assign state research reports, geography bees, and vacation destinations.

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New here? See how the wheel works: entries, odds, winners, sound and sharing.

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Open it in the Streamer Studio with a transparent OBS overlay and chat-powered entries.

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How to use the US states wheel

  1. 1

    Spin the 50-state wheel to select an American state at random.

  2. 2

    Assign students their research project or identify state capitals on a blank map.

Ways to use this wheel

  • 5th Grade State Float Project: Students spin to pick which state to research for their annual float presentation.
  • License Plate Game: Track which spun states your family spots during cross-country road trips.

Assign a state to every student

The wheel holds all 50 states, which makes it a quick way to assign research reports, one state per student, with no repeats if you turn on Remove winner after each spin. It is also useful for geography games and family road-trip planning.

Ask students to find the capital, nickname, a notable landmark and one surprising fact. Have them present in the order the states were drawn.

Other ways to use it

For a quiz, spin and ask students to locate the state on a blank map. For a lighter game, ask for the capital or a famous person from there. Narrow the wheel to one region by deleting the others before you spin.

Turning a spin into a lesson

After the wheel picks a state, ask students to place it on a blank map, name its capital and neighbors and find one fact about its history. Younger students can color the state and draw its flag. Older students can compare population, geography and industries with another state.

Keep a class map and mark each state as it is studied.

All 50 entries on this wheel

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Frequently asked questions

Are all 50 states represented on this wheel?

Yes, every single US state from Alabama to Wyoming is included with equal probability.

What is on the US States Wheel?

It opens with 50 entries: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California and 45 more. Spin it as it is, or change the list to match your group.

What can I use this wheel for?

People use it in a classroom, a tutoring session or a homework routine. Popular ideas include 5th Grade State Float Project and License Plate Game. For example, 5th Grade State Float Project: students spin to pick which state to research for their annual float presentation.

Is this wheel really random?

Yes. Each spin uses your browser's secure random number generator. With 50 entries and equal weights, every slice has a 2% chance, and nothing is rigged or stored on a server. The how our randomness works page explains it in detail.

Can I stop the same result coming up twice?

Yes. Switch on Remove winner after each spin and every entry that comes up leaves the wheel. With 50 entries you can draw up to 50 different results in a row, then reset the list to start over.

Can I share or embed this wheel?

Yes. Press Share to copy a link that opens this wheel with your current list, or Embed to get a snippet for a web page or class site. Both are free and need no account.

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