How Many States Begin With The Letter I

So, there I was, playing a game of Scattergories with my friends, and we're on the letter 'I'. I'm racking my brain, trying to come up with something other than "Iowa" and "Idaho". I mean, come on, those are like the first two that pop into anyone's head, right? But then I started thinking, "How many states do actually start with the letter 'I'?" I was pretty sure it was more than just those two, but I couldn't remember off the top of my head. And thus, a curiosity was born.

Let's Get Counting!

Alright, so let's dive in. We've got our obvious suspects: Iowa and Idaho. But what else is out there? I grabbed my trusty laptop (you know, the one that's always covered in crumbs from my snacking habits - don't judge me) and did a quick search. And lo and behold, there were more! I was like a kid in a candy store, except instead of candy, I was finding states. Who knew there could be so much excitement in geography?

Introducing the New Kids on the Block

So, here we go, the full list of states that start with the letter 'I': Iowa, Idaho, and... wait for it... Illinois! Yes, you heard it right. There's a third one! I know, I was shocked too. I mean, I've heard of Chicago, but I never really thought about where it was located in the alphabetical order of states. But there you have it, folks. Illinois is the hidden gem of the 'I' states.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "But what about Indiana?" you ask. Well, hold your horses, because Indiana is actually the only state that starts with the letter 'I' that we didn't mention. But here's the thing, it's not a secret or anything. It's just that when you're looking for states that start with the letter 'I', you're usually thinking of the other three. Indiana just kind of sneaks up on you, you know? Like that one friend who's always there but you never really notice until they're not.

So, Why the Obsession with 'I'?

You might be wondering why I'm so fascinated by this. Well, aside from the fact that I clearly need to get out more, I think it's just one of those things that you never really think about until you do. I mean, how many times have you been playing a game or filling out a form and you get to the state field and you're like, "Hmm, what states start with 'I' again?" It's one of those little mysteries of life that we all encounter, but never really solve. Until now, of course.

And besides, it's not like there's a shortage of states that start with other letters. I mean, there are 26 letters in the alphabet, and 50 states. That's a lot of states per letter! But for some reason, 'I' always seemed like the odd one out. Now I know why. It's not that there aren't many states that start with 'I', it's just that we always forget about Illinois. Poor Illinois. Always the forgotten middle child of the 'I' states.

But Wait, There's More!

Now, you might be thinking, "Okay, so we've got our 'I' states. What about the other letters?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Because I've decided to make this a thing. A quest, if you will. I'm going to find out how many states start with every letter of the alphabet. I mean, why stop at 'I' when you can go all the way to 'Z'?

So, stay tuned, folks. Next time, we'll be diving into the world of 'J' states. I mean, I'm pretty sure there's at least one, right? I mean, there has to be. Otherwise, this whole quest is going to be a lot shorter than I thought. But until then, happy state hunting!