Print and use a state map

Choose the map version

Choose the blank outline for a worksheet, a simple illustration, or a map you will label yourself. It shows the outer state boundary without internal lines. Choose the county-level version when you want to see the administrative divisions in the 2025 Census boundary file. In Alaska those records include boroughs and census areas; Louisiana uses parishes. Washington, D.C., appears as one county equivalent. The internal shapes are not labeled on the image because many would be too small to read at an ordinary page size. The alphabetical list on each state page gives their names.

Choose SVG or PNG

SVG keeps the map as paths and lines. It is useful when you want to enlarge the drawing, place it in compatible design or document software, or retain the sharpest possible line work. PNG is a fixed 1,800 × 1,240 pixel image. It is convenient for software that accepts ordinary images but does not import SVG. Both downloads show the same boundaries and use a white map background. The PNG does not contain extra road or place detail; it is a raster copy of the SVG.

Print from a browser

Open an SVG or PNG download in your browser, then use the browser’s print command. Check the preview before printing: choose a paper size that fits your purpose, select landscape orientation for a wide state shape, and adjust the scale or margins if part of the outline is clipped. A few states are tall or unusually wide, so a setting that looks good for one state may leave too much whitespace or cut off another. Printing the image itself is usually simpler than printing the entire state page, which includes explanation and navigation.

If you are adding labels by hand, leave enough blank space around the map. If you are placing it in a document, insert the downloaded file, set its size there, and export the document for printing. Avoid stretching only one dimension: that distorts the state shape. A proportionally resized image retains its intended geometry on the page.

Keep the source with the map

The shapes come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files , using the national state and county files at 1:5,000,000 scale. You can use a short source line such as “Boundary source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:5,000,000.” Keep that line with a shared worksheet or presentation so another reader knows the boundary vintage and level of detail.

These are generalized reference maps. The scale of the source data does not change when you enlarge an SVG. A larger print shows smoother lines, not a more precise boundary. For a property, road, trail, or local administrative question, consult a detailed official map prepared for that purpose. The map types guide explains when an outline map is the right starting point.

Browse all state maps to select a file.