Quiz challenge
One state touches Kansas, Oklahoma, and Utah by land. Which one?
Select an answer to continue.
The correct answer is A) Colorado.
Colorado is the correct answer. It shares land borders with Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, and Utah to the west.
American geography presents plenty of fascinating border trivia, especially across the expansive terrain of the American West and Great Plains. State boundaries in this region were drawn during nineteenth century territorial organization, resulting in distinct geometric shapes and multi-state border intersections. Identifying a state that connects the open prairies of the central United States with the canyon lands of the Intermountain West requires a clear picture of map boundaries. Out of all fifty states, only one holds the geographic position required to touch Kansas, Oklahoma, and Utah by land.
The correct answer
A) Colorado
Colorado is the correct answer. It shares land borders with Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, and Utah to the west.
Colorado occupies a central position in the American West where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. Because of its rectangular shape and geographical location, Colorado shares land borders with seven different states. Its eastern boundary rests against Kansas, while its narrow neighbor to the southeast is the Oklahoma Panhandle. Moving west across the Continental Divide, Colorado shares its entire western boundary with Utah. In total, Colorado is surrounded by Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico and Arizona to the south and southwest, and Utah to the west. No other U.S. state touches all three of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Utah.
More context
The borders of Colorado were formally established when Congress created the Colorado Territory in February 1861, carved out of land previously belonging to the territories of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah. The borderlines were set along specific lines of latitude and longitude, creating a boundary box spanning four degrees of latitude and seven degrees of longitude. Although often referred to as a perfect rectangle, historical surveying discrepancies created hundreds of subtle bends along the state lines. One notable point along Colorado's southwestern border is the Four Corners Monument, the only location in the nation where four states meet at a single mathematical point, connecting Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Quick facts
- Colorado shares borders with seven states in total: Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
- The state border between Colorado and Oklahoma is only about 35 miles long, running along the top of the Oklahoma Panhandle.
- Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, earning it the official nickname of the Centennial State.
- The Four Corners boundary marker is jointly managed as a historic monument by Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation.
Sources
- Colorado – Geography and State Boundaries — U.S. Census Bureau Colorado borders seven states: Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.
- Colorado Overview — Encyclopaedia Britannica Colorado's geographical boundaries and territorial history with neighboring U.S. states.
