State FIPS Codes

FIPS codes are two-digit numerical codes assigned by the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) to represent the States, territories, possessions, and freely associated areas of the United States. The codes are based on the names and abbreviations used by the US Postal Service. ZIP Codes and cities often cross county lines, which yields multiple valid state FIPS codes for the same location. For example, Leeds, Alabama, sits at the intersection of three counties. Entering one city name and expecting to get just one correct state FIPS code is like trying to guess the winner of a horse race by looking at a jockey’s uniform.

Note that state FIPS code numbers skip a few spots, which was done in the 80’s to leave room for American Samoa should it ever move from being a US protectorate to a full-fledged US State. The skipped state FIPS codes are 15, 43, and 52.

FIPS Code Lookup

While conducting a FIPS code lookup by ZIP Code or city is possible, the most accurate way to find the correct county FIPS code is by searching by address. This method eliminates the possibility of mismatched or inaccurate results because addresses are typically standardized across the country. In addition, a FIPS code search by address is the only method that will return the correct five-digit FIPS code for each county in the United States. This is especially important as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, and the nation needs to be able to accurately track county-level statistics.

State FIPS codes are ordered alphabetically, and there are gaps in the sequence to allow for new state additions. The current codes skip numbers to leave room for American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico should they become a state in the future.

If you’re a business that needs to use FIPS codes, the first step is to ensure your address data is clean and accurate. Firstlogic’s ACE software can cleanse your addresses and reference resources like USPS CASS, DPV, LACSLink, and SuiteLink to provide you with the five-digit FIPS code you need for accuracy. To find out more, click here.

State FIPS Codes List

1. Alabama – 01
2. Alaska – 02
3. Arizona – 04
4. Arkansas – 05
5. California – 06
6. Colorado – 08
7. Connecticut – 09
8. Delaware – 10
9. Florida – 12
10. Georgia – 13
11. Hawaii – 15
12. Idaho – 16
13. Illinois – 17
14. Indiana – 18
15. Iowa – 19
16. Kansas – 20
17. Kentucky – 21
18. Louisiana – 22
19. Maine – 23
20. Maryland – 24
21. Massachusetts – 25
22. Michigan – 26
23. Minnesota – 27
24. Mississippi – 28
25. Missouri – 29
26. Montana – 30
27. Nebraska – 31
28. Nevada – 32
29. New Hampshire – 33
30. New Jersey – 34
31. New Mexico – 35
32. New York – 36
33. North Carolina – 37
34. North Dakota – 38
35. Ohio – 39
36. Oklahoma – 40
37. Oregon – 41
38. Pennsylvania – 42
39. Rhode Island – 44
40. South Carolina – 45
41. South Dakota – 46
42. Tennessee – 47
43. Texas – 48
44. Utah – 49
45. Vermont – 50
46. Virginia – 51
47. Washington – 53
48. West Virginia – 54
49. Wisconsin – 55
50. Wyoming – 56