12 puzzles · all free to play and print
States and Capitals Word Search
Free States and Capitals word search puzzles to print or play online.
Play online or print
Western States
8 words to find
- OREGON
- SALEM
- UTAH
- NEVADA
- TEXAS
- AUSTIN
- IDAHO
- BOISE
Drag from the first to the last letter of a word, or tap the first letter and then the last. The PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
All 12 States and Capitals puzzles stay free here. Want them as one printable booklet?
All 12 States and Capitals word search puzzles
twelve puzzles in three levels. Easy puzzles are 10 by 10 grids with eight words across and down, medium puzzles are 13 by 13 with twelve words and diagonals, and hard puzzles are 16 by 16 with eighteen words in every direction, backwards too. The themes include western, eastern and heartland states, state nicknames, birds and flowers, and famous landmarks. Every puzzle has an answer key and prints on US Letter or A4. Every one of these 12 puzzles is free: play it online above or print its PDF, with the answer key on page 2. No account, no email.
Easy: across and down 4 puzzles
Medium: across, down and diagonal 4 puzzles
Hard: every direction, backwards too 4 puzzles
Optional · all in one file
Want all 12 in one booklet?
You do not need it: every States and Capitals puzzle above is free to play and to download one by one. The booklet is only for printing them all at once, a 26-page PDF with a cover, a contents page and the answer keys at the back. Buying it also keeps this site free for everyone.
One-time payment, secure checkout with Stripe. US Letter and A4 PDFs, the download link arrives by email.
How to use these States and Capitals word searches
Teachers can use the easy and medium puzzles as a warm-up before a geography quiz, and homeschool families can match each state to its capital while they search. Road trip families can print a regional puzzle for the states they will cross, and the hard ones suit quiz nights. Each PDF has the puzzle on page 1 and the answer key on page 2.
Make your own States and Capitals word search
Add your own words, a name or a class list to these states and capitals words and pick a level. The preview is free; the printable PDF with its answer key is $1.99.
Good to know about States and Capitals word search
Every States and Capitals puzzle on this page is free to play online and free to print as a PDF with its answer key, one by one. Only the optional booklet, all 12 puzzles bundled into one print-ready file, costs money.
With twelve puzzles, the easy and medium ones hide a mix of state names and capitals, so some states appear only through their capital, such as Boston or Annapolis, and a few are left out. The hard puzzles use nicknames, birds, flowers and landmarks.
Western States and Eastern States in the easy level. Each hides pairs like OREGON and SALEM, TEXAS and AUSTIN, MAINE and AUGUSTA or OHIO and COLUMBUS, so a child can match them as they search.
State Nicknames hides names like KEYSTONE and PALMETTO. State Birds and Flowers hides MEADOWLARK and BLUEBONNET. The other two cover lakes, rivers and mountains, and landmarks such as Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls.
Easy puzzles (10 by 10, words across and down) work from about age 6. Medium puzzles (13 by 13, diagonals added) suit ages 8 to 11. Hard puzzles (16 by 16, every direction, backwards too) are for older kids and adults.
Page 2 of every PDF is the answer key, with each word marked where it hides. When you play online, the Show answers button marks them on the grid.
Every puzzle comes as a US Letter PDF (8.5 by 11 inches) and an A4 PDF (210 by 297 mm). Print at 100% or Actual size.
Every puzzle on this page plays in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer: drag or tap from the first to the last letter of a word. Nothing to install and no account.
Print as many copies as you need for your home, classroom, church group or care home. Please link to this page instead of uploading the files elsewhere.