when was the last time the us added a state
Territorial evolution of the United States Regarding internal borders, while territories could shift wildly in size, once established a state has commonly remained within its borders, barring small changes due to river shifts. Only four states - Maine, Kentucky, Vermont, and West Virginia - have been created from land claimed by another state; all of the others were created from territories or directly from acquisitions. The last state of the contiguous United States, commonly called the "lower 48," was admitted in 1912; the fiftieth and most recent state was admitted in 1959.