U.S. map practice index

U.S. States to draw from memory

Browse all fifty state outlines from the simplest geometry in this map source to the most detailed, then use one visual anchor to rebuild each shape without looking.

Choose a difficulty

Start with one strong border clue

Easy states use fewer coordinate vertices in the project's us-atlas source; medium and hard states use progressively more. That makes the grouping automatic and reproducible, but it is not a psychological test. A familiar shape such as Texas can still feel easier than a low-vertex state you rarely see. Use the ranking as a route through the data, then let your own repeated mistakes decide what needs practice.

Medium outlines

17 states to practice

Rank 1 has the fewest source vertices; rank 50 has the most.

  1. #18

    Medium · 130 vertices

    Nebraska

    Hold the long west-east proportion and simplify the Missouri River edge.

  2. #19

    Medium · 155 vertices

    Massachusetts

    Draw the mainland bar before curling Cape Cod outward.

  3. #20

    Medium · 160 vertices

    South Carolina

    Think rounded triangle with the point aimed northwest.

  4. #21

    Medium · 163 vertices

    Indiana

    Start with a compact upright block and notch the northwest corner.

  5. #22

    Medium · 165 vertices

    Oklahoma

    The long western panhandle is the anchor for the broader eastern body.

  6. #23

    Medium · 167 vertices

    Tennessee

    Preserve the very long horizontal strip before adding border wiggles.

  7. #24

    Medium · 168 vertices

    Ohio

    Use a compact shield shape with a flatter west and curved river south.

  8. #25

    Medium · 178 vertices

    Iowa

    Use a broad box held between two gently curving river borders.

  9. #26

    Medium · 194 vertices

    Oregon

    Start boxy, then replace the western side with one Pacific coastal curve.

  10. #27

    Medium · 196 vertices

    Georgia

    Use a broad upper block and taper toward the short Atlantic coast.

  11. #28

    Medium · 199 vertices

    Arkansas

    Start with a compact box, then soften the east with the Mississippi River.

  12. #29

    Medium · 204 vertices

    Montana

    Use a wide northern band with a rougher, narrower mountain side below.

  13. #30

    Medium · 206 vertices

    Hawaii

    Place the main islands on one northwest-to-southeast diagonal.

  14. #31

    Medium · 224 vertices

    Missouri

    Draw a central block, soften both river edges, and add the bootheel.

  15. #32

    Medium · 233 vertices

    West Virginia

    Find the compact center first, then extend both thin panhandles.

  16. #33

    Medium · 235 vertices

    Illinois

    Keep it vertical and let the Mississippi River bend the western edge.

  17. #34

    Medium · 249 vertices

    Idaho

    Draw the tall northern handle first, then widen sharply across the south.

The order counts coordinate vertices after converting us-atlas/states-10m.json to GeoJSON. Dataset resolution, island inclusion, and river detail all affect the count, so “hard” here means a more detailed source path rather than a guaranteed harder memory task.

Switch from reference to recall

Pick a state, hide the preview, and draw the anchors you remember.

Open the game and select U.S. States above the map.