Tri-state area facts for kids

A tri-state area is a common way to talk about a place in the United States where parts of three different states meet or are very close. These areas usually share a big city or a strong connection in their economy and geography. You often hear the term "tri-state area" in TV and radio ads!

Famous Tri-State Areas

Many parts of the U.S. are called tri-state areas. Here are some of the most well-known ones:

• The area around New York City includes parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Sometimes, a bit of Pennsylvania is also included, making it a "four-state" area!
• The Philadelphia area covers parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. It also includes a small part of Maryland.
• The Cincinnati metropolitan area is where Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana meet.
• The Boston area includes parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
• The Providence metropolitan area is mostly in Rhode Island and a bit of Massachusetts. Even though Connecticut isn't officially part of it, three Rhode Island counties touch Connecticut.
• The Pittsburgh tri-state area covers parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.
• The Erie, Pennsylvania, tri-state area includes parts of New York and Ohio.
• The Minisink Valley tri-state region covers Orange County in New York, Sussex County in New Jersey, and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
• The Chicago tri-state area, also called Chicagoland, includes northeast Illinois, northwest Indiana, and southeast Wisconsin. Some parts of Michigan are also connected to Chicago.
• The Greater Memphis area, or Mid-South, includes western Tennessee, northwest Mississippi, and the Arkansas delta.
• The Dubuque, Iowa tri-state area reaches into Illinois and Wisconsin.
• The La Crosse, Wisconsin, tri-state area includes towns in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
• The Chattanooga, Tennessee, tri-state area includes parts of Alabama and Georgia.
• The area around Washington, D.C. and nearby parts of Maryland and Virginia is sometimes called a "tri-state area." Even though D.C. isn't a state, Jefferson County, West Virginia, is part of its official metro area, so it does include three states. People often call this area "the DMV" (D.C., Maryland, Virginia).
• The "Joplin District" is a mining area in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. It's known for special "tri-state" minerals.
• The Wiregrass Region includes southeast Alabama, southern Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.
• The Sioux City metropolitan area region is in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
• Northwest Litchfield County in Connecticut, southern Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and eastern Dutchess County in New York are sometimes called the "tri-corners."
• The Keokuk, Iowa, tri-state area includes parts of Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois.
• The Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area includes Evansville, Indiana, and nearby parts of Illinois and Kentucky.
• The Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area includes towns in ten counties across Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. This area is sometimes called "Kyova," a mix of the state names.
• The Ark-La-Tex is a region that includes counties and parishes in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
• The Delmarva area includes Delaware and the eastern parts of Maryland and Virginia.

Some of these areas, like Quincy, Evansville, and Huntington–Ashland, are special because the three states are separated by rivers.

Tripoints: Where Three States Meet Exactly

A "tripoint" is a specific spot where the borders of three states come together. In the U.S., there are 62 such points. Most of these are on land, but some are in water.

Land Tripoints

Here are some of the places where three states meet on dry land:

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  This marker shows where New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut meet.

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  Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts meet at this spot.

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  The Tri-States Monument marks where New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania come together.

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  Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio share this tripoint marker.

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  This is the "8 Mile Corner" where Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma meet.

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  A marker for the Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma tripoint.

Water Tripoints

Some tripoints are located in rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water:

Tri-State Areas Without a Single Meeting Point

Some tri-state areas are important even if the three states don't meet at one exact spot. They are connected by shared geography, economy, or culture.

See also

In Spanish: Área tri-estatal para niños