The United States is one of the most diverse and fascinating travel destinations in the world. From dramatic natural landscapes and iconic national parks to layered history, vibrant cities, and deeply rooted cultural traditions, America offers endless opportunities for discovery. This collection of U.S. travel trivia questions is designed to explore those layers through engaging, fact-based questions and answers that reveal surprising details about the country.
I’ve always loved trivia because it makes learning feel effortless and genuinely fun. A good trivia question can spark curiosity, start conversations, and turn an ordinary moment into shared discovery. Whether you’re spending time with family, challenging friends, or planning future trips, travel trivia is a simple and enjoyable way to connect knowledge with experience.
This article is part of an ongoing travel trivia series created for curious travelers and explorers at heart. If you enjoyed Travel Trivia: Around the Planet in 75 Superlatives or the dedicated trivia collections focused on Europe and Asia, this U.S. edition continues the series with an in-depth look at one country through 150 carefully curated trivia questions with answers.
The trivia below is grouped by topic to match different interests. You’ll find questions covering U.S. geography, American history, culture and daily life, cities and states, famous travel landmarks, and a dedicated section of harder U.S. trivia questions. About 10% of the questions are intentionally challenging, offering deeper facts and lesser-known insights.
This U.S. travel trivia quiz is designed for anyone searching for American trivia questions with answers, United States geography trivia, or fun facts about the USA. With 150 questions covering all 50 states, major cities, national parks, landmarks, and cultural traditions, this article works equally well as a classroom resource, a travel planning companion, or a fun way to test your knowledge of America.
150 U.S. Travel Trivia Questions (With Answers) to Test Your Knowledge of America
US Geography Trivia
1. What is the largest state in the United States by land area?
Answer: Alaska – covering over 1.7 million square kilometers (663,000 square miles), larger than the next three largest states combined. By the way: if you want to explore Alaska in winter, these are some amazing Alaskan adventures for you!
2. What is the smallest U.S. state by area?
Answer: Rhode Island – about 4,001 square kilometers (1,545 square miles).
3. What is the highest mountain in the United States?
Answer: Denali in Alaska – 6,190 meters (20,310 feet) tall.
4. What is the longest river in the United States?
Answer: The Missouri River – approximately 3,767 kilometers (2,341 miles) long.
5. Which U.S. state has the longest coastline?
Answer: Alaska – more than 54,000 kilometers (33,900 miles) of tidal shoreline.
6. What is the deepest lake in the United States?
Answer: Crater Lake, Oregon – about 594 meters (1,949 feet) deep.
7. Which desert covers much of Arizona?
Answer: The Sonoran Desert – one of the hottest deserts in North America.
8. What ocean borders the western United States?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean – the world’s largest ocean.
9. What ocean borders the eastern United States?
Answer: The Atlantic Ocean – separating North America from Europe and Africa.
10. Which U.S. state is made entirely of islands?
Answer: Hawaii – an archipelago in the central Pacific.
11. What mountain range runs along the eastern U.S.?
Answer: The Appalachian Mountains – stretching about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles).
12. What river carved the Grand Canyon?
Answer: The Colorado River – over millions of years.
13. Which U.S. state has no natural lakes?
Answer: Maryland – according to the Maryland Geological Survey, the state has no natural lakes; its lakes are man-made (reservoirs).
14. What is the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the U.S.?
Answer: Lake Superior – about 82,100 square kilometers (31,700 square miles).
15. Which Great Lake lies entirely within the United States?
Answer: Lake Michigan – shared by several U.S. states.
16. What is the capital of Alaska?
Answer: Juneau – accessible mainly by air or sea.
17. Which U.S. state contains Death Valley?
Answer: California – home to the lowest point in North America.
18. What is the lowest elevation point in the U.S.?
Answer: Badwater Basin, Death Valley – about −86 meters (−282 feet).
19. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”?
Answer: Minnesota – actually home to over 11,000 lakes.
20. Which river forms much of the U.S.–Mexico border?
Answer: The Rio Grande – about 3,034 kilometers (1,885 miles) long.
21. What national park is the oldest in the U.S.?
Answer: Yellowstone National Park – established in 1872.
22. Which U.S. state has the most volcanoes?
Answer: Alaska – more than 130 volcanoes.
23. What state is Mount Rainier located in?
Answer: Washington – Mount Rainier rises 4,392 meters (14,411 feet).
24. Which U.S. state has the most national parks?
Answer: California – with nine national parks.
25. What is the largest canyon in the United States?
Answer: The Grand Canyon – 446 kilometers (277 miles) long.
26. Which is the only point in the United States where four states meet?
Answer: Four Corners Monument – where the boundaries of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah intersect at a single point.
27. Which U.S. state has the greatest number of distinct climate zones?
Answer: California – it features Mediterranean, desert, alpine, coastal, and forest climates within a single state.
28. Which U.S. state has the most lakes?
Answer: Alaska – with an estimated three million lakes.
29. What river flows through New York City?
Answer: The Hudson River – 507 kilometers (315 miles) long. If you’re planning a visit, this 3-day New York City itinerary covers the city’s highlights.
30. What state contains the Everglades?
Answer: Florida – home to the largest tropical wilderness in the continental U.S.
US History Trivia
31. In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Answer: 1776 – marking the birth of the United States.
32. Who was the first President of the United States?
Answer: George Washington – served from 1789 to 1797.
33. What war was fought between the North and South?
Answer: The American Civil War – from 1861 to 1865.
34. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?
Answer: The Bill of Rights – ratified in 1791 to protect individual liberties.
35. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson – principal author at age 33.
36. What was the Louisiana Purchase?
Answer: The 1803 land deal that doubled U.S. territory.
37. Which president issued the Emancipation Proclamation?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln – in 1863.
38. When did World War II end for the U.S.?
Answer: 1945 – after Japan’s surrender.
39. Which amendment ended slavery?
Answer: The 13th Amendment – ratified in 1865.
40. What speech did Martin Luther King Jr. give in 1963?
Answer: The “I Have a Dream” speech.
41. What was the first permanent English settlement?
Answer: Jamestown – founded in 1607.
42. Who was the third U.S. president?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson.
43. What war began with the attack on Pearl Harbor?
Answer: World War II – in 1941.
44. Which president served four terms?
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt – from 1933 to 1945.
45. What amendment gave women the right to vote?
Answer: The 19th Amendment – ratified in 1920.
46. What year did the U.S. land on the Moon?
Answer: 1969 – Apollo 11 mission.
47. Who purchased Alaska from Russia?
Answer: The U.S. government, in 1867.
48. What was the significance of the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention?
Answer: It was the first women’s rights convention in the U.S. – it launched the organized women’s suffrage movement.
49. Which war was fought in 1812?
Answer: The War of 1812 – between the U.S. and Britain.
50. Who was the first African American president?
Answer: Barack Obama – elected in 2008.
51. What event started the American Revolution?
Answer: The Battles of Lexington and Concord.
52. What was New York City originally called?
Answer: New Amsterdam – under Dutch rule.
53. Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: John Hancock – his large signature became iconic.
54. What year did Hawaii become a state?
Answer: 1959 – the 50th state.
55. What was the New Deal?
Answer: A series of programs to combat the Great Depression.
56. Who was the primary author of the Federalist Papers?
Answer: Alexander Hamilton – he wrote 51 of the 85 essays to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
57. What year was the Constitution signed?
Answer: 1787 – in Philadelphia.
58. What purchase gave the U.S. Florida?
Answer: The Adams-Onís Treaty – 1819.
59. What year did the Berlin Wall fall (U.S. Cold War milestone)?
Answer: 1989.
60. What conflict followed the 9/11 attacks?
Answer: The War in Afghanistan, beginning in 2001.
US Culture & Daily Life Trivia
61. What is America’s national bird?
Answer: The bald eagle – symbol of freedom.
62. What sport is called America’s pastime?
Answer: Baseball.
63. What U.S. state is the only one to have a royal palace that is still used for official purposes?
Answer: Hawaii – Iolani Palace in Honolulu was the residence of the Hawaiian monarchy and remains the only royal palace on U.S. soil.
64. What food is traditional on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Turkey.
65. What is the only U.S. state with a Spanish-language motto?
Answer: Montana – its motto is “Oro y Plata”, meaning “Gold and Silver,” reflecting its mining history.
66. What is the official U.S. national march?
Answer: “The Stars and Stripes Forever” – composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896.
67. What is the most-watched U.S. sporting event?
Answer: The Super Bowl.
68. What genre of music originated in New Orleans?
Answer: Jazz.
69. What U.S. holiday is observed on the third Monday of January to honor a civil rights leader?
Answer: Martin Luther King Jr. Day – established as a federal holiday in 1983 and first observed in 1986.
70. What is the national flower of the U.S.?
Answer: The rose.
71. What candy is most associated with Halloween?
Answer: Candy corn.
Speaking of, did you know all of these interesting celebrations similar to Halloween?
72. What drink is commonly associated with the U.S. South?
Answer: Sweet tea.
73. What is the national anthem of the United States?
Answer: “The Star-Spangled Banner” – written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812.
74. What famous symbol of independence is located in Philadelphia and has a large crack in it?
Answer: The Liberty Bell – it was (probably) rung to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence. And you can see it today – along with many other wonderful things to do in Philadelphia.
75. What TV event often airs on Thanksgiving?
Answer: NFL football games.
76. What dessert is iconic in New York City?
Answer: Cheesecake. (You should try it – maybe on a trip where you enjoy the many free things to do in NYC.)
77. What holiday celebrates labor rights?
Answer: Labor Day – first Monday in September.
78. What city is known for country music?
Answer: Nashville, Tennessee.
79. What is the national motto of the U.S.?
Answer: “In God We Trust.”
80. What movie industry is centered in Hollywood?
Answer: The U.S. film industry.
81. What parade is famous on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
82. What iconic figure is the national personification of the U.S. government?
Answer: Uncle Sam – a symbol of patriotism often depicted in “I Want YOU” recruitment posters.
83. What is the most popular pet in the U.S.?
Answer: Dogs.
84. What was the original purpose of the Statue of Liberty when it was gifted to the United States?
Answer: To commemorate the centennial of American independence and symbolize liberty and democracy.
85. What music genre grew from the Mississippi Delta?
Answer: Blues.
US Cities, States & Travel Landmarks
86. Which U.S. city is the southernmost major city in the contiguous United States?
Answer: Key West, Florida – located about 151 kilometers (94 miles) from Cuba.
87. What is the capital of California?
Answer: Sacramento.
88. Where is the Statue of Liberty located?
Answer: New York Harbor.
89. Which city is known for the Golden Gate Bridge?
Answer: San Francisco – a major U.S. city famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, historic neighborhoods, and Pacific Coast scenery.
90. Which U.S. city reversed the flow of its main river in the late 19th century for sanitation reasons?
Answer: Chicago – the Chicago River was engineered to flow away from Lake Michigan.
91. What state is known as the Lone Star State?
Answer: Texas.
92. What former federal prison is located on an island in San Francisco Bay?
Answer: Alcatraz Island – famously known as “The Rock.”
93. Where is Mount Rushmore located?
Answer: South Dakota.
94. Which Pennsylvania city is known as the “Birthplace of America”?
Answer: Philadelphia – home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
95. What city has the Space Needle?
Answer: Seattle.
96. Where is Yellowstone National Park located?
Answer: Mainly in Wyoming, with parts in Montana and Idaho.
97. What city is known for the Strip?
Answer: Las Vegas – where you can enjoy many interesting activities.
98. Which Georgia city hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics and is the headquarters of Coca-Cola?
Answer: Atlanta – a major economic and cultural center of the American South.
99. Where is Walt Disney World located?
Answer: Orlando, Florida – one of the most visited travel destinations in the United States, best known for Walt Disney World and theme parks.
100. What South Carolina city is famous for its historic French Quarter and cobblestone streets?
Answer: Charleston – a major port city known for its well-preserved antebellum architecture.
101. What state has the nickname “Empire State”?
Answer: New York.
102. What city is known for deep-dish pizza?
Answer: Chicago – famous for deep-dish pizza and a popular destination for U.S. city trips.
103. Where is the Lincoln Memorial?
Answer: Washington, D.C.
104. What city is known for film premieres?
Answer: Los Angeles – where you have so many cool things to do.
105. Where is Sequoia National Park?
Answer: California.
106. What city is known for the Freedom Trail?
Answer: Boston – a major U.S. travel destination known for the Freedom Trail, colonial landmarks, and American Revolutionary history.
107. Which national park, located on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, is the most visited in the United States?
Answer: Great Smoky Mountains National Park – famous for its blue-colored mist and diverse wildlife.
108. Where is the Alamo?
Answer: San Antonio, Texas.
109. What Colorado city is known as the “Mile High City”?
Answer: Denver – its official elevation is 1,609 meters (5,280 feet) at a marked point on the Colorado State Capitol steps, though much of the city sits above that elevation.
110. Where is the Gateway Arch?
Answer: St. Louis, Missouri.
111. Which Ohio city is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Answer: Cleveland – located on the shore of Lake Erie, it celebrates the history of rock music.
112. Where is Zion National Park?
Answer: Utah.
113. What city is known for South Beach?
Answer: Miami.
114. What state contains Napa Valley?
Answer: California.
115. Where is the Hoover Dam?
Answer: On the Nevada–Arizona border.
116. What island state is known for its volcanic landscapes and Polynesian culture?
Answer: Hawaii – it consists of eight main islands in the Central Pacific.
117. Where is Monument Valley?
Answer: Arizona–Utah border.
118. What city is known for Beale Street?
Answer: Memphis, Tennessee.
119. Where is Acadia National Park?
Answer: Maine.
120. What city is known for the French Quarter?
Answer: New Orleans, where there are many amazing things to do.
121. What state has the nickname “Sunshine State”?
Answer: Florida.
122. Which U.S. state has the highest population density?
Answer: New Jersey – with over 470 people per square kilometer (1,200 per square mile).
123. What city is famous for Silicon Valley?
Answer: San Jose region.
124. Which city is known as the “Motor City” for its historic role in the American auto industry?
Answer: Detroit – it is the birthplace of the Ford Motor Company and Motown Records.
125. What city is known for its music festivals?
Answer: Austin, Texas.
126. In which state would you find the active volcano Mount St. Helens?
Answer: Washington – it famously erupted in 1980, significantly changing the surrounding landscape.
127. Which U.S. state has a coastline longer than all other 49 states combined?
Answer: Alaska. (This highlights the “fun fact” element more effectively).
128. What city is famous for the Mall of America?
Answer: Bloomington, Minnesota.
129. Where is the Denali National Park, home to the highest mountain peak in North America?
Answer: Alaska – the park encompasses 6 million acres of wild terrain.
130. Which U.S. national park is the largest by land area?
Answer: Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in Alaska – covering about 53,300 square kilometers (13.2 million acres).
131. In which Massachusetts town can you find the famous rock where the Pilgrims are said to have first landed in 1620?
Answer: Plymouth – the site of Plymouth Rock and the living history museum, Plimoth Patuxet.
132. Where is Mount Hood?
Answer: Oregon.
133. Which group of five massive freshwater lakes contains about 21% of the world’s surface freshwater?
Answer: The Great Lakes – Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.
134. Where is the Painted Desert?
Answer: Arizona.
135. Which massive waterfall is located on the border between New York and Ontario, Canada?
Answer: Niagara Falls – it is one of the most famous natural attractions in North America.
Harder US Trivia Questions
136. What is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S.?
Answer: St. Augustine, Florida – founded in 1565.
137. Which state ratified the Constitution last?
Answer: Rhode Island – in 1790.
138. Which president never lived in the White House?
Answer: George Washington.
139. Which National Park is known as the “Crown of the Continent” and contains over 130 named lakes?
Answer: Glacier National Park (Montana).
140. What is the longest cave system in the world located in the U.S.?
Answer: Mammoth Cave – over 685 kilometers (426 miles) explored.
141. Which was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution?
Answer: Delaware – on December 7, 1787, earning it the nickname “The First State.”
142. What city was the first U.S. capital?
Answer: New York City – you can discover more about the city from this local’s guide to New York City.
143. What is the largest shopping mall in the U.S.?
Answer: Mall of America – over 5 million square feet.
144. What year was the Interstate Highway System launched?
Answer: 1956 – under President Eisenhower.
145. What U.S. monument was the tallest man-made structure at completion?
Answer: The Washington Monument – completed in 1884.
146. What is the driest state in the U.S.?
Answer: Nevada – with the lowest average annual rainfall.
147. What was the original purpose of Mount Rushmore?
Answer: To promote tourism in South Dakota.
148. What city hosted the first modern Olympics in the U.S.?
Answer: St. Louis – in 1904.
149. What river system drains the largest area in the U.S.?
Answer: The Mississippi River Basin – covering about 3.2 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles).
150. What is the only U.S. state that borders only one other state?
Answer: Maine – it only shares a land border with New Hampshire.
US Trivia
The United States offers an endless mix of landscapes, stories, and cultural experiences – and travel trivia is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore them. Whether you worked through all 150 questions or focused on your favorite sections, this U.S. trivia quiz is designed to inform, inspire, and entertain.
If you enjoy learning through trivia, explore the rest of the series, including global superlatives and dedicated trivia collections for Europe and Asia. Which question surprised you the most, and which destination should be featured next?
U.S. Travel Trivia – Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are in this U.S. travel trivia quiz?
This article includes 150 U.S. travel trivia questions with answers, covering geography, history, culture, cities, states, and landmarks.
Is this U.S. trivia quiz suitable for students and classrooms?
Yes. The questions range from easy to challenging, making it useful for classrooms, homeschooling, and educational games.
Can I use these American trivia questions for game nights or road trips?
Absolutely. This quiz works well for family game nights, long drives, travel planning, and group activities.
Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
