A Complete List of All State Mottos

• Are you looking for state mottos wanting to know what characterizes the national 'soul' or patriotic identity of a particular U. S. state?  

• Go check out our Complete List of Mottos and click on your state of interest to also find state nicknames and state slogans
• And do yourself a favour ... have fun with it!

State Mottos - The Unique Essence of a State's Personality ... Spot on!

The owners of mottos, nicknames, and slogans may not only be insightful people or clever businesses but also states.

In fact, all the states of America have each chosen a state motto. Some of them have been integrated into state flags and/or state seals.

Yet again, some have been officially designated by act of state legislature, others figure unofficially as elements of a state’s seal.

A state motto is a brief symbolic description that tries to capture the 'soul', intention or character of a particular state and thereby also its inhabitants.

More or less the same intention applies for state nicknames and state slogans. Official state slogans are most often a state's attempt at attracting tourists to the nation. Unofficial funny state slogans are typically made by companies to sell on t shirts and other souvenir items.

Sometimes the state nicknames and state slogans appear on license plates.

Now, back to the state motto: As you are about to discover, the motto will appear as either a single word or a whole sentence typically in English or Latin. However, in some states they also appear in a Native American tongue, or in Spanish, Greek, French or Italian.

The essence of a state's motto is often related to what is considered proud American virtues such as:

• Together we are Stronger - Strength through National Union: Illinios, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Vermont

• Admiration of Labour - Hard work is the key to Success: Kansas, Oklahoma, and Utah

• We are born Free and will fight for Justice, Freedom and Independence: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming

Some state mottos reflect the importance of belief and faith in:

• A higher Deity - In God we Trust: United States, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and South Dakota

• Hope: Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington

Below is a list of state mottos for all the states. If you hunger for more inspiring need-to-know info on a unique state message and also happen to be interested in expressive, sometimes quite funny, state nicknames and state slogans, just click on the individual state below and presto, instant wisdom nicely wrapped and compressed:

State Trivia

750 Trivia Questions and Answers

The Complete List of State Mottos:

• United States: "In God We Trust"

• Alabama: "Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere" (We Dare Defend our Rights/We Dare Maintain our Rights)

• Alaska: "North to the Future"

• Arizona: "Ditas Deus" (God Enriches)

• Arkansas: "Regnat Populus" (The People Rule)

• California: "Eureka" (I have found it)

• Colorado: "Nil Sine Numine" (Nothing without Providence/Nothing without God/Nothing without the Deity)

• Connecticut: "Qui Transtulit Sustinet Language" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains)

• Delaware: "Liberty and Independece"

• Florida: "In God We Trust"

• Georgia: "Wisdom Justice Moderation" and (“Agriculture and Commerce”)

• Hawaii: "Ua Mau ke Ea o ka 'Âina i ka Pono" (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)

• Idaho: "Esto Perpetua" (It is Perpetual)

• Illinois: "State Sovereignty, National Union"

• Indiana: "The Crossroads of America"

• Iowa: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain"

• Kansas: "Ad Astra Per Aspera" (To the Stars through Difficulties)

• Kentucky: "United we Stand, Divided we Fall" and "Deo Gratiam Habeamus" (Let us be Grateful to God)

• Louisiana: "Union, Justice, and Confidence"

• Maine: "Dirigo"("I direct"/"I lead"/"I guide")

• Maryland: "Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine" (Strong deeds, gentle words/Manly deeds, womanly words)

• Massachusetts: "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)

• Michigan: "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice" ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you")

• Minnesota: "L'Etoile du Nord" (The Star of the North)

• Mississippi: "Virtute et Armis" (By Valor and Arms)

• Missouri: "Salus populi suprema lex esto" (The Welfare of the People shall be the Supreme Law)

• Montana: "Oro y Plata" (Gold and Silver")

• Nebraska: "Equality Before the Law"

• Nevada: “All for Our Country”

• New Hampshire: "Live Free or Die"

• New Jersey: "Liberty and Prosperity"

• New Mexico: "Crescit eundo" (It Grows as It Goes)

• New York: "Excelsior (Ever Upwards/Higher/Superior)

• North Carolina: "Esse Quam Videri" (To be, rather than to seem)

• North Dakota: "Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable"

• Ohio: “With God All Things Are Possible”

• Oklahoma: "Labor Omnia Vincit" (Labour Conquers All Things)

• Oregon: "She Flies With Her Own Wings"

• Pennsylvania: "Virtue, Liberty & Independence"

• Rhode Island: "Hope"

• South Carolina: "Dum Spiro Spero" (While I breathe, I hope)

• South Dakota: "Under God the People Rule"

• Tennessee: "Agriculture and Commerce"

• Texas: "Friendship"

• Utah: "Industry"

• Vermont: "Freedom and Unity"

• Virginia: "Sic Semper Tyrannis" (Thus Always to Tyrants)

• Washington: "Al-ki" or "Alki" (Bye and Bye/Hope for the Future)

• West Virginia: "Montani Semper Liberi" (Mountaineers Are Always Free)

• Wisconsin: "Forward"

• Wyoming: "Equal Rights"