Per updated AP style, the names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town. If using state abbreviations to reduce redundancy (e.g., R.I. for Rhode Island in a story that repeatedly references the state), do not use the ZIP code abbreviations, but rather the abbreviations shows here (the ZIP code abbreviations appear in parentheses, only for use in mailing addresses):
| Ala. (AL) | Kan. (KS) | N.H. (NH) | S.C. (SC) |
| Ariz. (AZ) | Ky. (KY) | N.J. (NJ) | S.D. (SD) |
| Ark. (AR) | La. (LA) | N.Y. (NY) | Tenn. (TN) |
| Calif. (CA) | Md. (MD) | N.M. (NM) | Vt. (VT) |
| Colo. (CO) | Mass. (MA) | Nev. (NV) | Va. (VA) |
| Conn. (CT) | Mich. (MI) | N.C. (NC) | Wash. (WA) |
| Del. (DE) | Minn. (MN) | N.D. (ND) | W. Va (WV) |
| Fla. (FL) | Miss. (MS) | Okla. (OK) | Wis. (WI) |
| Ga. (GA) | Mo. (MO) | Ore. (OR) | Wyo. (WY) |
| Ill. (IL) | Mont. (MT) | Pa. (PA) | |
| Ind. (IN) | Neb. (NE) | R.I. (RI) |
Place a comma between the city and the state name and after the state name.
- He was traveling from Nashville, Tennessee, to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In formal invitations, always spell out the name of the state.
- The Hope Club, Providence, Rhode Island