Northeastern State Nicknames Trivia Quiz

One of West Virginia's nicknames is "The Mountain State." West Virginia is a rather mountainous state, nestled high in the Appalachians. The official state motto, which appears on the state seal, is "Montani Semper Liberi," Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free." The official motto was adopted by the state legislature in 1872. Other nicknames for the state are "The Panhandle State," with not one, but two panhandles, and "Switzerland of America," due to the rugged, mountainous terrain.

The highest mountain in West Virginia is Spruce Mountain, at 1,482 m (4,863 ft.). The state's average elevation is 460 m (1,500 ft), a rank of 19th out of 50 states, but it is the highest average elevation of any state east of the Mississippi River. In the south-central part of the state, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers a wealth of hiking trails through the mountains, alongside rivers, creeks and rock formations. It was given National Park status in December 2020. On the opposite end of the altitude spectrum, Harper's Ferry National Historic Park is located at the state's lowest elevation.

Maryland's traditional nickname is "The Old Line State." The moniker originates from the Mason-Dixon Line, which, by some views, constitutes the traditional dividing line between North and South. The Mason-Dixon Line was the result of surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the 1760s to settle a border dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania. One tradition is that the "Old Line State" nickname was given to Maryland by George Washington.

Maryland is known for more than just an Old Line. The state also has natural beauty. Maryland is home to Assateague Island National Seashore, shared with Virginia. Assateague Island is the largest undeveloped barrier island along the Mid-Atlantic eastern seaboard, an ecological preserve and wildlife refuge with minimal human development. Notably, bands of Assateague horses roam the island, feral horse populations that legend has it descended from equine shipwreck survivors.

Delaware's official state nickname is "The First State," which was formally adopted in 2002. Delaware was the first state to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, gaining Delaware's formal approval December 7th, 1787. The delegates of the Constitutional Convention finished drafting the Constitution in September of 1787, and the document was then forwarded to the states to hold ratification conventions. The delegates to Delaware's convention voted unanimously, 30-0.

First State National Historical Park, in the northern part of the state, celebrates Delaware's historic role in the creation of the United States under the Constitution. The park contains multiple colonial sites of historical significance. The largest section of First State National Historical Park is Brandywine Valley, undeveloped land along the Brandywine River, with hiking trails and other outdoor recreation.

Pennsylvania's most familiar nickname is "The Keystone State." A keystone, as an architectural term, refers to the central block that holds an archway together. Figuratively, a keystone is an indispensable piece of a whole, without which the rest would not function. A legend behind the nickname is that Thomas Jefferson referred to Pennsylvania as "the keystone of the federal union" in an 1802 speech. Symbolically, Pennsylvania was in the geographic center of the thirteen colonies, much like the keystone of an arch. Most important was Pennsylvania's role in the nation's founding. Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, was the site where the Declaration of Independence was issued and where the United States Constitution was drafted, cementing the state's role as the keystone that held the Union together.

In addition to its history, Pennsylvania is also rich in geographical beauty. The state is home to multiple state parks in the mountainous woodlands, such as World's End State Park in the Endless Mountains, and Allegheny National Forest in the Allegheny Mountains, each part of the larger Appalachian Range.

The official nickname for the state of New Jersey is "The Garden State." The nickname is often credited to an 1876 speech at the Philadelphia Centennial Convention, in which a man named Abraham Browning stated of New Jersey, that "our Garden State is an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and New Yorkers from the other." The quote was claimed by an author who published an historical account of the convention fifty years later. Some believe that the account was fabricated. But nevertheless, the nickname "Garden State" stuck and gained state legal recognition in the 1950s.

While a small, densely populated industrial state, New Jersey does have a respectable agricultural industry. Many farms have sections to accommodate tourists. New Jersey also has a multitude of botanical gardens and arboretums for public enjoyment. Notable is the New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands, a 390,000 m2 (96 acre) botanical garden, part of Ringwood State Park in Passaic County.

New York State has long been nicknamed "The Empire State." Origins of the nickname are disputed, with varying theories, but records show the moniker being widely used by the early 1800s. One origin story credits George Washington calling New York the "Seat of the Empire" in 1785 and the "Pathway to Empire" in the 1790s. The imperial comparisons are symbolic of New York's wealth, grandiosity and ambition. In modern times, New York City has become a center for global finance and business empires. Many landmarks, businesses and other institutions associated with New York have adopted the Empire name, such as the Empire State Building.

The empire of New York State stretches well beyond imperial New York City. New York is blessed with natural richness, from the mountains of the Catskills and Adirondacks to the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain bordering Vermont. Perhaps most well known is Niagara Falls, shared with Ontario, Canada. The three distinct waterfalls that form Niagara Falls combine to form the largest waterfalls in North America by volumetric flow.

Though Connecticut has several informal nicknames, such as "The Nutmeg State," the official state nickname is "The Constitution State." The state legislature formalized the nickname in 1959. Connecticut was the fifth state to ratify the United States Constitution, but that is not the constitution that the nickname refers to. Though disputed, some historians claim that 150 years before Connecticut's statehood, the colony's First Orders of 1638 and 1639 were history's first written constitution.

In addition to its scenic shore along Long Island Sound, Connecticut is home to natural beauty inland. The Appalachian Mountains run though the western part of the state, including a stretch of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, through the Berkshire subrange. Among the Berkshires is Kent Falls State Park, home to a series of falls along Falls Brook. Kent Falls drop a cumulative 76 m (250 ft.), with the largest waterfall over a height of 21 m (70 ft.).

Rhode Island's official nickname is "The Ocean State." It was a nickname originally created to attract tourism, but there is a truth to it. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States, but given that distinction and its coastal location, every corner of the state is within easy access to either Narragansett Bay or the Atlantic Ocean.

Along Rhode Island's coast, the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex manages five official wildlife sanctuaries. Among them is Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, on Block Island, an island off the coast, in the Atlantic between mainland Rhode Island and the eastern tip of Long Island. Block Island is an important bird sanctuary, located along the Atlantic Flyway as a stopping point for many migratory bird species.

Massachusetts is known as "The Bay State," and the official demonym for its citizens is "Bay Staters." The name stems from Massachusetts Bay, directly east of Boston along the state's east coast. The region was named the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1628 after merging with Plymouth Colony, which became the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691, and eventually dropping the "Bay" in its formal name as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. But the "Bay" remained central to the state's official nickname.

Massachusetts Bay encompasses the eastern waters of the central part of the state. It is north of Cape Cod Bay, though some consider Cape Cod Bay to be part of Massachusetts Bay as a single body. Both are part of the larger Gulf of Maine along the North Atlantic. Massachusetts Bay and particularly Cape Cod Bay are known for world class fishing. Situated in the bay is Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, consisting of thirty four islands.

Vermont's official state nickname is "The Green Mountain State." The nickname stems from the actual name of the state, which spawned from the French "les monts vert," translated as "Green Mountains." The aptly named Green Mountains are a subrange of the greater Appalachians, running the full length of the state of Vermont. The highest of the Green Mountains and the highest point in Vermont is Mount Mansfield, at 1,339 m (4,393 ft.).

For a state that emphasizes the Green Mountains in its name and nickname, it is a certainty that Vermont is rich with opportunity for enjoying the mountains and green forests. Vermont claims the oldest long distance trail in the United States, the aptly named the Long Trail. The Long Trail was developed in 1930 by the Green Mountain Club. It runs 439 km (273 miles) along the Green Mountains from the southern Vermont border with Massachusetts to the northern border with Quebec.

New Hampshire's nickname is "The Granite State," due to the state's abundance of the mineral. Granite mining grew rapidly in New Hampshire in the 1700s. Legend has it that the Marquis de Lafayette, during his 1820s visit to the United States, made a remark about New Hampshire as the granite state, originating the state's nickname.

One famous granite formation in New Hampshire was the Old Man of the Mountain, a series of granite outcroppings and cliff ledges that resembled a human face in profile. Sadly, the granite Old Man of the Mountain collapsed in 2003. But it remained a New Hampshire icon, if only in memory. New Hampshire is also home to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, part of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains. One theory for the origin of the name of the White Mountains is due to the prevalence of granite, appearing white from a distance.

Maine is known as "The Pine Tree State." The official state tree is the eastern white pine, while the pine cone and tassel are the official state floral emblems. Perhaps lobsters might often come to mind when outsiders think of Maine, but inland, the lumber industry, with Maine's vast pine forests, was highly significant in the state's economic development.

Besides lobsters and pines, Maine might most notably be known for Acadia National Park. Acadia was the first national park east of the Mississippi River. Lush with towering pine trees, fitting with Maine's nickname, Acadia National Park is located along the coast, with mountains, ocean views and cobblestone beaches. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point in Acadia National Park and the highest mountain on the eastern seaboard.