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Most of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and 3 of its territories. A motto is a phrase intended to formally describe the general motivation or intention of an organization. State mottos can sometimes be found on state seals or state flags.
State mottos encapsulate that state's history in the union and the shared camaraderie of its citizens. But while some U.S. state mottos are perfectly explanatory, others may leave you scratching your head.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
Alabama's state motto is "Audemus jura nostra defendere,"a Latin phrase that translates to "We dare maintain our rights."
Alaska's state motto is "North to the Future,"chosen in 1967 during the Alaska Purchase Centennial to represent "Alaska as a land of promise."
"Eureka"has been California's state motto since 1963, but the word has appeared on the state seal since 1849 as a reference to the discovery of gold in California.
Colorado's motto is "Nil Sine Numine,"which translates from Latin to "Nothing without providence or deity."
Connecticut's state motto is "Qui Transtulit Sustinet,"which means "He who transplanted still sustains." According to Connecticut's state government site, possible origins trace to the psalm "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."
Delaware's state motto has been "Liberty and Independence" since 1847. The state also adopted a tourist slogan in 2015, "Delaware: Endless Discoveries."
Though technically not a state, Washington, D.C. still has a motto: "Justitia Omnibus,"which means "Justice for All."
Hawaii's state motto comes from King Kamehameha III in 1843 and was uttered as the Hawaiian flag rose again after a brief period of British occupation: "Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono,"or "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."
Idaho's state motto is "Esto Perpetua," which translates to "Let it be perpetual," "It is forever" or "Be eternal."
Kansas' state motto "Ad astra per aspera"means "To the stars through difficulties" and is aptly illustrated on the state seal, which depicts a farm below a sky of stars.
- Alabama: Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere. Latin for “We dare maintain our rights,” the motto was meant to “interpret the spirit of our peoples in a terse and energetic sentence,” said Marie Bankhead Owen in 1939, when she was director of Alabam a’s state archiv es.
- Arizona: Ditat Deus. Arizona’s state motto translates from Latin to “God enriches,” and therein lies a land mine. While no one is disputing that this should be Arizona’s motto, there’s been a battle afoot to keep the motto out of public-school classrooms.
- Alaska: North to the Future. Alaska’s motto, “North to the F uture,” was created by Richard Peter, a newsman from Juneau, Alaska. It’s meant to represent Alaska as a land of promise, and it was adopted in 1967 during the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase.
- Arkansas: Regnant Populus. Latin for “The people rule,” this motto doesn’t stir much controversy (compared with, say, Arizona’s). And South Dakota’s, as you’ll see, is just a tweak away from this.
List of U.S. state mottos. This is a list of mottos for the different states of the United States. To help tourism, states can also make state slogans . Excelsior! ( Latin, "Ever Upward!") Equal Rights and Cedant arma togae. (Latin, "Let weapons yield to the toga.")
Apr 11, 2019 · All the states in the US have a motto that appears on state flags, state seals, buildings, or coins. Some states only have mottos on their seals while other states have made their mottos official through a legislature. Below is a list of all state mottos.
Jan 29, 2023 · Almost every state has an officially recognized nickname. For example, Texas is known as "The Lone Star State" and California is "The Golden State."
