Make a map of the United States in minutes. Paint states with your own colors and legend labels, or paste a CSV of values to create a choropleth with a color scale. Add a title, state labels and a source note, then download a sharp PNG or an editable SVG.
Last updated:
Loading the US map…
Click states to paint them with the selected color. Hover a state to see its name and value.
Pick a color, then click or drag across states. Labels you type here appear in the legend.
Paint a whole Census region
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How to use the US Map Maker
Choose how to color: open Paint states to color by hand, or CSV data to color from numbers or categories.
Paint or paste: click and drag across states with the selected color, or paste rows like Texas, 29.1 or TX, 29.1. The map updates as you type.
Tune the colors: pick a color scale and the classification (continuous, equal intervals or quantiles), or edit the color of each category.
Add text in Style: title, subtitle, source note, labels, font, border and background colors.
Download the map as a PNG for slides and social media, or as an SVG to edit further or print at any size.
Example CSV formats that work
The map recognizes full state names, two-letter USPS postal codes and two-digit FIPS codes, with or without a header row. All of these color the same states:
Layout
Example rows
Result
Name and number
California,39.0 Texas,30.5
Color scale (gradient or classes)
Postal code and percent
CA 12.1% TX 9.8% (tab-separated)
Color scale; % and $ signs are ignored
FIPS code and money
06;$1,234 48;$987
Color scale; thousands separators are allowed
Name and category
Ohio,Swing state Utah,Safe
One color per category, editable
Spreadsheet export
State,Region,Sales + rows
Pick the value column from the list
Census regions used by the quick-paint buttons
Region
States
Northeast (9)
CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, NJ, NY, PA
Midwest (12)
IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD
South (16 + DC)
DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, DC, WV, AL, KY, MS, TN, AR, LA, OK, TX
West (13)
AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY, AK, CA, HI, OR, WA
Tips for a clear, honest map
Map rates, not totals. Divide by population or area (per 100,000 people, percent of households) so large states do not dominate just because of their size.
Use a sequential scale (one hue from light to dark) for values that go from low to high, and a diverging scale only when there is a meaningful midpoint such as zero change or the national average.
Five classes are usually enough; more than seven shades are hard to tell apart.
State the source and year in the footnote so readers know where the numbers come from.
Check color vision: Viridis and the single-hue blues and greens stay readable for most people with color blindness; avoid red against green for categories.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a map of the US with colored states?
Open the Paint states tab, choose a color and click the states you want, or drag across several. Type a label next to each color, such as Visited or Want to visit, and it appears in the legend. Then download the map as PNG or SVG.
What format should my data be in?
Two columns separated by a comma, tab or semicolon: the state and its value, one state per line, for example Texas,42 or TX,42. A header row is optional. States can be written as full names, two-letter postal codes or FIPS numbers, and values can include thousands separators, a percent sign or a dollar sign. You can also open a .csv file exported from Excel or Google Sheets.
What is a choropleth map?
A choropleth map shades each area according to a value, such as population density or unemployment rate, using a color scale with a legend. It works best with rates, percentages or per-person values; raw totals tend to make large states look important simply because they are big.
What is the difference between equal intervals and quantiles?
Equal intervals split the range from the lowest to the highest value into classes of the same width, which keeps the legend easy to read but can put most states in one class. Quantiles put roughly the same number of states in each class, which shows rank and spreads colors evenly but can group very different values together. Continuous shading maps each value directly onto the gradient.
Can I include Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico?
Washington, D.C. is included and labeled with a leader line because it is too small to label inside. The map uses the standard Albers USA layout with Alaska and Hawaii moved below the contiguous states, which does not include Puerto Rico or other territories.
Can I use the maps I make commercially?
Yes. The state outlines come from the public-domain U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files (via the us-atlas project), and everything you add is your own, so you can use the PNG or SVG in reports, presentations, websites and print without attribution.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your CSV data, colors and labels stay in your browser. Only the map outline is downloaded once from a public CDN when the page loads.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.