US State Picker Wheel
All fifty states on one wheel. Spin it when a state has to be assigned, researched or visited and nobody wants to be the one who chose.
Loading the wheel…
Editing the entries only changes your copy. Press Save in the Saved wheels panel to keep it, or reset to start again.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Space Spin the wheel
- R Spin again
- F Full screen
- S Open settings
- Esc Close a dialog or leave full screen
While you are typing in a box, these keys belong to the box — only Escape stays global.
How to use this template
- Spin for one of the fifty. At this many entries the wheel shortens the labels on the slices — the full name is always in the result.
- Turn on “Remove the winner after each spin” for a class assignment, so every state is handed out once and no two students get the same one.
- Cut the list to a region — the eight you might realistically drive to — when you are planning rather than teaching.
- Add Washington DC or the territories as extra entries if your lesson covers them.
What people use it for
- Assigning states for a research project, one per student, in front of the class.
- Geography practice: spin, then name the capital before the next spin.
- Road-trip planning that has been stuck on “anywhere, really” for a month.
- Picking which state a quiz round is about.
- A writing prompt — spin a state and set the story there.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the labels shortened on the wheel?
Fifty slices leaves very little room, so long names are abbreviated on the wheel itself to keep them legible. The result dialog always shows the full name.
Does it include Washington DC and the territories?
Not by default — the wheel holds the 50 states. Add “Washington DC”, “Puerto Rico” or any territory as extra entries if your lesson needs them.
Can I make one state come up more often?
Yes, with weights, though it is rarely what you want for a lesson. Weighting is more useful the other way: switch off the states you have already covered so the wheel only draws from what is left.
Related templates
- 24 entries · ready to spin Country Picker Wheel Pick a country without picking a favourite. The wheel starts with two dozen; replace them with a continent, a shortlist or the whole world.
- 20 entries · ready to spin Random Animal Wheel Twenty animals on one wheel. Spin it for a writing prompt, an act-it-out round, or the animal a whole group has to move like for the next minute.
- 12 entries · ready to spin Classroom Name Wheel Replace the raised hands with a wheel. Swap the sample names for your class, and every question goes to somebody who was not expecting it.