This interactive course will help you understand the basic geography of the United States, including its 50 states and major time zones.
Module 1States
Module 2Time Zones
Final AssessmentTest your knowledge
How to use: Select each lesson from the menu, review the material, then complete the assessment.
Module 1: States
The United States is made up of 50 states. Forty-eight states form the contiguous United States, while Alaska and Hawaii are separated geographically from the other states.
48Contiguous states
AlaskaNorthwestern North America
HawaiiIsland state in the Pacific
50Total U.S. states
Map of the United States
List of State Abbreviations
💡 Quick Check: Alaska and Hawaii are the only two U.S. states that are not part of the contiguous United States.
State Recognition Challenge
What states have the abbreviation ME, AR & LA?
ME - Maine AR - Arkansas LA - Louisiana
Module 2: Time Zones
The contiguous United States primarily spans four major time zones.
Time Zone
Abbreviation
Example State
Difference from ET
Eastern
ET
New York
Same time (reference zone)
Central
CT
Texas
1 hour behind ET
Mountain
MT
Colorado
2 hours behind ET
Pacific
PT
California
3 hours behind ET
🕐 Remember: When moving west across the contiguous U.S., the local clock generally moves back one hour for each time-zone boundary crossed.
U.S. Time Zones by State
⏰ Reminder: Daylight saving time (DST) is a period of the year between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
🕐 Time Zone Converter
Use this tool to convert a date and time from one time zone to another. This is especially useful when scheduling customer calls across the United States.
Time Zone Practice
If it is 3:00 PM Eastern Time, what time is it in California?
Final Assessment
Answer all 15 questions. A score of 80% or higher is required to pass.
