Smarter Than the Average American? Take This USA Quiz!

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Smarter Than the Average American? Take This USA Quiz!
Image: Pixabay by Martin Str

About This Quiz

The USA is among the largest and most well-known countries on the planet. There is a lot to know about the country, from geography, politics, the states themselves and a boatload of different statistics. However, how much do you actually know about the USA? Well, if you're like many Americans, the answer is likely not very much. While some might have some passing knowledge, many haven't learned anything new since their time in high school.

Are you like the rest, or do you feel you're smarter than the average American? If you feel you're smarter, get ready to prove it. This quiz is going to ask you a range of questions to see just how much you know about one of the greatest countries on the planet. For example, do you know what the longest river in the country is? How about which university has had the most presidents attend it?

If you can answer these types of questions, or want to learn more about the good old US of A, this quiz is for you. Without any further ado, put on your red, white and blue and get ready to challenge yourself with our quiz to test your knowledge of the USA.

George Washington
Wiki Commons by Avard T. Fairbanks
Who was the very first President of the USA?
George W. Bush
John Adams
George Washington
William Taft
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The very first President of the United States was George Washington. Before becoming a president and getting involved in politics, Washington was a military general in the War of Independence.

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Neil Armstrong
Wiki Commons by NASA
Who was the first American to set foot and walk on the moon?
Buzz Aldrin
Neil Armstrong
Chris Hadfield
Michael Collins
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Only one person will ever have the distinction of being the first person to walk on the moon, and that is Neil Armstrong. He did this back in 1969 when Apollo 11 became the first spaceflight that brought humans to the moon.

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Bison
Don White / E+ / Getty Images
What is the national mammal in the USA?
Bison
Chimpanzee
Bear
Dog
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the USA didn't have a national mammal for a very long time, that all changed in 2016 when the bison became the national mammal. President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act on May 9, 2016, making it official.

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1776
Wiki Commons
When was the USA founded?
1776
1656
1801
1934
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USA was officially founded on July 4th of 1776. It became official when the people from each of the original Thirteen Colonies got together and signed the Declaration of Independence.

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Mississippi River
Lightvision, LLC / Moment / Getty Images
The USA is home to many rivers, but which is the longest?
Rio Grande
Columbia River
Snake River
Mississippi River
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it is close, the longest river in the USA is the Mississippi River. It goes for 3,778 km, which is just over 10 km longer than the next closest river. It goes from north to south and nearly spans the entire country.

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Freeing the slaves
Wiki Commons by Alexander Gardner
What was Abraham Lincoln arguably most famous for?
Running marathons
Being the second President ever
Freeing the slaves
How short he was
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While Abraham Lincoln did many things as President, arguably his most notable was freeing the slaves. He did this when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed over 3.5 million slaves.

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Sacramento
Janet Kopper / Moment / Getty Images
What city is the capital of California?
Sacramento
Los Angeles
San Jose
San Diego
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While Los Angeles is the largest and most well-known city in the state of California, it is not the capital. That distinction goes to Sacramento, which has been the capital of the state for a long time.

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The Star-Spangled Banner
Wiki Commons by Ken Lund
What is the name of the national anthem of the USA?
"Born in the USA"
"Proud to Be an American"
"The Greatest Country Ever"
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The national anthem for the USA is the "Star-Spangled Banner." The song officially became adopted as the official anthem in 1931, though its lyrics and music date back to well over 100 years before that.

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Philadelphia
Wiki Commons
Which city was the Declaration of Independence signed in?
Boston
New York City
Philadelphia
Chicago
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Declaration of Independence, which helped to found the USA as we know it, was signed in Philadelphia back in 1776. In particular, it was signed in the State House, in Independence Hall.

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White House
TriggerPhoto / E+ / Getty Images
How many years is a presidential term in the USA?
One year
Two years
Four years
Six years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the USA, the term for a president is four years. After four years, an election will be held. A president is eligible for two terms, or eight years total. Of course, the term can be shorter if the president is impeached or passes away.

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New Orleans
Lightvision, LLC / Moment / Getty Images
Which American city is known as "The Big Easy"?
Los Angeles
Chicago
New Orleans
Miami
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"The Big Easy" is a nickname for none other than New Orleans. It got this nickname because a writer in the newspaper began to call it by the name back in the 1970s to describe the easy-going living in the city.

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New York City
Wojtek Zagorski / Moment / Getty Images
Which city in the USA has the highest population?
New York City
Houston
Chicago
Miami
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are many American cities with millions and millions of residents, but no city has more people than New York City. It has over 8 million people and is the most densely populated city in the country.

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50
Wiki Commons
How many states are in the USA?
42
48
50
52
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USA is home to 50 different states, in addition to many other islands and territories. These states range in size, laws and many other ways. Fun fact, the 50 states are represented by the 50 stars on the American flag.

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Las Vegas
Wiki Commons by Rmvisuals
If you were taking a trip to Sin City, where would you be going?
Miami
Las Vegas
Reno
Atlantic City
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sin City is the nickname for the city of Las Vegas, which is a hub for gambling and entertainment. It got this nickname as there are often a lot of unsavory things that take place there. The designation dates back to the early 1900s.

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Arizona
www.fischerfotografie.nl / Moment / Getty Images
Where is the Grand Canyon located?
Colorado
Alaska
Arizona
Montana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Grand Canyon, which is located in the state of Arizona, is one of the most popular places to visit in the country. It is truly magnificent and has millions of years of history inside of it.

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Lake Superior
Wiki Commons by Phizzy
Of the Great Lakes, which is the largest?
Lake Superior
Lake Huron
Lake Michigan
Lake Erie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Great Lakes are some of the largest lakes on the planet, but the largest of them all is Lake Superior. It has an area of 31,700 square miles and is the largest freshwater lake on the planet, according to the surface area.

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World War II
Unsplash by Chandler Cruttenden
When did the USA enter into World War II?
1938
1939
1941
1943
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While the Second World War began in 1939, the USA didn't join into the battle until a few years later on December 7th, 1941. They did so after the terrible Pearl Harbor attacks by Japan.

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Alaska
Wiki Commons
Of the following states, which was not a member of the original Thirteen Colonies?
Alaska
New Jersey
Georgia
Delaware
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Thirteen Colonies existed before the USA officially became a country, and since Alaska didn't become a state until much later, it could not have been a member. Without these colonies, the USA would likely look very different than it does today.

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Delaware
Wiki Commons by World Flag Database
Which state is the oldest?
Delaware
California
New York
Illinois
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While it is a fairly low-profile state today, Delaware is the oldest state in the USA. It was the first state ratified into the Union. It became the first state on December 7th, 1787, only a few days before Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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New York City 2
Wiki Commons by Chief Photographer's Mate Eric J. Tilford
In what city did the horrific events of 9/11 occur?
San Francisco
Philadelphia
New York City
Dallas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The day of September 11th, 2001, is a day that will never be forgotten in the USA. On that day, thousands of people in New York City lost their lives to terrorist attacks. It is one of the darkest days in American history.

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Washington, D.C
Wiki Commons by Cezary p & MattWade
Where does the president of the USA live?
Washington, D.C.
New York City
Seattle
Boston
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While presidents have been born around the country, they all end up living in Washington, D.C. In particular, they live in the White House. Every president since 1800 has lived in the White House. Shown here are the north (top) and south (bottom) facades of the White House.

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New Amsterdam
Wiki Commons by Jacques Cortelyou
Before being called New York, what was it called?
York
New Amsterdam
Old York
New London
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Before it ever became the state of New York, the state went by a different name — New Amsterdam. After New Amsterdam was captured, the name was changed to New York to honor the Duke of York.

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Denali
C. Fredrickson Photography
There are many mountains in the USA, but which is the tallest peak?
Mount Bona
Denali
Mount Hubbard
Mount Sanford
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The tallest mountain that has currently been discovered in the USA is Denali. Located in Alaska, this mountain (which used to be known as Mount McKinley) stands at 6,190 meters tall.

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Three
Wiki Commons by Joe Ravi
How many U.S. branches of government are there?
One
Two
Three
Four
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When it comes to the USA, there are three separate branches of the government. They are the Executive branch (President and other workers), the Legislative branch (Senate and House of Representatives) and the Judicial branch (Supreme Court).

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Can You Unscramble the Names of All 30 MLB Teams?
Wiki Commons by Arturo Pardavila III
Which American sports league holds the World Series every year?
NBA
NFL
MLB
MLS
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The World Series is the annual championship series that takes place to name the best Major League Baseball team of the previous season. It takes place in the fall and has been contested for more than 100 years. Shown here, the Chicago Cubs celebrate their 2016 World Series victory.

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Harvard
Wiki Commons by Chensiyuan
Which American university has produced the most presidents?
Princeton
Brown
Yale
Harvard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While all of the mentioned schools are very prestigious and have several high-level graduates, Harvard has the distinction of graduating the most presidents. Barack Obama, John Adams, John F. Kennedy and many others attended Harvard at some point.

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Florida
Wiki Commons by Michael Gray Wantagh
Which state is Disney World in?
Florida
New York
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Disney World is without a doubt one of the most popular attractions and vacation spots in the country. It is located in Florida, near Orlando, and gets millions upon millions of visitors every year.

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One World Trade Center
Wiki Commons by John D. Morris
What is the tallest building in the USA?
Aon Center
One World Trade Center
Empire State Building
Willis Tower
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Between all the downtown areas in the USA, there are many different tall buildings. However, none are taller than the One World Trade Center in New York City, which stands at over 541 meters tall.

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Alaska 2
Ning Li / Moment / Getty Images
Which state is the largest in terms of area?
Texas
Arizona
Alaska
Wyoming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many of these states are quite large, but one takes the cake as the largest, and that would be Alaska. It is over 665,000 square miles, which is well over twice as large as the next closest state.

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Hawaii
joe daniel price / Moment / Getty Images
Of all the states, which is the newest?
Alaska
Kentucky
New Mexico
Hawaii
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The newest state to enter the United States of America is Hawaii. It officially joined the Union on August 21st, 1959, which was only about eight months after Alaska joined the USA.

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South Dakota
Jacobs Stock Photography Ltd / DigitalVision / Getty Images
Which state is home to Mount Rushmore?
North Dakota
South Dakota
Colorado
Texas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mount Rushmore is a tourist attraction and sculpture located in South Dakota. It depicts four Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

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325 million
Wesbs / Moment / Getty Images
Approximately how many people live in the USA?
135 million
2.5 billion
325 million
210 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The United States of America is home to around 325 million people. This makes it one of the most populous countries on the planet, trailing only China and India, who both have over 1 billion residents.

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Five
Wiki Commons by Staff Sgt. Katie Gieratz
How many armed branches does the U.S. military have?
Two
Four
Six
Seven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The American military is among the largest on the planet and has six armed service branches. These are the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Space Force.

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44
Wiki Commons by U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
How many different people have served as the president of the USA?
45
44
43
41
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While there have been 45 presidencies, only 44 different men have served as president of the country. Grover Cleveland, shown here, is the only one to serve more than one presidency, as he was the 22nd and 24th president.

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Chicago
Pixabay by PublicDomainPictures
Which city is home to "The Bean"?
Minneapolis
Chicago
Boston
Louisville
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Bean, which is officially called Cloud Gate, is located in Chicago. It is a large public structure that looks like a large stainless steel bean, and is visited by people all over the world.

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You Got:
/35
Pixabay by Martin Str