The Southeast United States is the region of the United States located in the southeastern portion of the United States. It includes all states that fall south of the Mason-Dixon line and the Ohio River, stretching as far as Arkansas. Like other informal regions of the United States, the states that are considered part of the Southeast are defined differently. Some only include contiguous, while others may include the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
The American Association of Geographers has defined the Southeast region to include the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The U.S. Geological Survey the Southeast slightly differently. Under this definition, the following states make up this region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also included as part of the Southeast under this definition. Other definitions also include Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
The Southeastern United States has a total area of over 580,000 square miles with a population of over 97 million. The population density is just over 150 people per square mile. The most populous state in the region is Florida, which has an estimated population of nearly 22 million people. Other populous states include Georgia, which has over 10.8 million; North Carolina has over 10.5 million; and Virginia, with over 8.6 million. The least populous state in the Southeast is West Virginia, which has a population of 1.8 million, followed by Mississippi, with a population of 2.98 million. Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Alabama are also among the least populous southeastern states, with populations that each fall below 5 million per the latest estimates.
The largest city in the Southeast is Jacksonville, Florida, which has a population of over 868,000. Other populous cities include Charlotte, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; Nashville, Tennessee; Memphis, Tennessee; and Baltimore, Maryland.