6 states · Census division · 15,116,205 people · 71,987 sq mi
New England states map
New England is the six states in the north-east corner of the country: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It is the one US region whose membership nobody disputes.
How the region is defined
New England is both a Census division (part of the Northeast region) and a historical region dating to the 1620s colonies. The two definitions match exactly: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Its western boundary is the New York state line, its southern boundary Long Island Sound, and Maine's northern and eastern borders face New Brunswick and Quebec.
The six states had 15,116,205 people in 2020 on 71,987 square miles — a bit less than Missouri's area with about two and a half times its population. Massachusetts holds 47% of the people; Maine holds 49% of the land. Vermont (643,077) is the second-smallest state by population after Wyoming.
States, capitals and largest cities
| State | Capital | Largest city | Population (2020) | Area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut (CT) | Hartford | Bridgeport | 3,605,944 | 5,543 |
| Maine (ME) | Augusta | Portland | 1,362,359 | 35,380 |
| Massachusetts (MA) | Boston | Boston | 7,029,917 | 10,554 |
| New Hampshire (NH) | Concord | Manchester | 1,377,529 | 9,349 |
| Rhode Island (RI) | Providence | Providence | 1,097,379 | 1,545 |
| Vermont (VT) | Montpelier | Burlington | 643,077 | 9,616 |
| Total (6 states) | 15,116,205 | 71,987 |
Geography
New England is hilly and glaciated. The northern Appalachians cross it in three ranges: the Green Mountains down the middle of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire — Mount Washington, 6,288 ft, is the region's highest point and has recorded the strongest surface wind ever measured by a staffed station — and the mountains of western Maine ending at Katahdin (5,269 ft), the north end of the Appalachian Trail. The Berkshires of western Massachusetts and the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut are the southern continuation.
The Connecticut River, 400 miles long, rises near the Quebec border, forms the entire Vermont–New Hampshire line, crosses Massachusetts and Connecticut and enters Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook. It is the only large river in the region; the Merrimack, Kennebec, Penobscot and Androscoggin are shorter. The coast is rocky north of Boston and sandy south of it, with Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Block Island being glacial moraines left when the ice retreated about 15,000 years ago.
Because the states are small, the region is compact: Boston to Providence is 50 miles, to Hartford 100, to Portland 110, to Burlington 215. All six states are on Eastern time. Connecticut and Rhode Island have counties but no county governments; the town is the basic unit of local government throughout the region.
Related maps
- Parent region: Northeast; sibling division Middle Atlantic.
- Quiz: the Northeast states quiz covers all six plus New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- State capitals: Boston, Hartford, Providence, Concord, Montpelier, Augusta.
- Geography: Appalachian Mountains, Coastlines, State high points.
- All divisions: regions overview.