how many states are there in the us

The United States has 50 states. This count excludes the federal district (Washington D.C.) and other U.S. territories, which are not states. The last two states to join were Alaska and Hawaii in 1959, making the total 50 states. Each state has its own government and governor, and the mainland U.S. consists of 48 states, with Alaska and Hawaii located apart from the mainland.