50 TV Shows Set in All 50 States
In this golden age of prestige TV, there are a lot of shows out in the world to catch up on. So many, in fact, that there's actually one for every state! While some places have way more than others (looking at you, New York), each series does a great job at showcasing its part of the United States and all its quirk and charm. Find out which series have taken place in your home state, and then check out all the books set around the country.
1. Alabama: Hart of Dixie 
After her dreams of becoming a heart surgeon fall apart, the perfectly named Zoe Hart finds herself falling in love with the charm of sweet home Alabama — and all of its Southern hospitality.
2. Alaska: Northern Exposure 
Not only does it feature the state and all of its plaid-shirts glory, but it also takes the term "fish out of water" to a whole new level as a New York graduate struggles to adapt to the Alaskan lifestyle.
3. Arizona: The Last Man on Earth 
Nothing makes the end of the world more stressful that trying to survive in the hot heat of Tucson, AZ.
Honorable mention: Medium
4. Arkansas: Evening Shade 
Burt Reynolds's character may be fictional, but Evening Shade, AR, certainly isn't. The show perfectly showcases the charm of the town by offering bits and pieces of famous locations in the area.
5. California: Beverly Hills, 90210 
When it comes to shows based in Cali, the original 90210 is a classic. As the title would suggest, this show is all about the lifestyles of the young kids in Beverly Hills as they attend high school and college and eventually enter adulthood. The infamous West Beverly Hills is actually an ode to the real-life Beverly Hills High School.
Honorable mentions: The OC, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Saved by the Bell
6. Colorado: Community 
The characters in this community college are almost as laid back as real-life Colorado natives.
Honorable mentions: The Ranch, Make It or Break It, The Man in the High Castle, Everwood, Dynasty, and Mork & Mindy
7. Connecticut: Gilmore Girls 
This mother-daughter duo, notorious for drinking coffee and spitting out pop culture references, truly illustrates the state's nickname of "Land of Steady Habits."
Honorable mentions: Who's the Boss and The Baby-Sitters Club
8. Delaware: The Pretender 
The series really shows off the Northeast region as a child prodigy runs through the fictional town of Blue Cove, DE, to find the birth parents he never knew existed.
9. Florida: The Golden Girls 
Who says retirement can't be a nonstop party? This award-winning show really captures of the essence of Floridian lifestyle as these four older, boisterous single women share a home in Miami.
Honorable mentions: Jane the Virgin and Fresh Off the Boat
10. Georgia: The Walking Dead 
While the second half of the fifth season mainly takes place in Alexandria, VA, the rest of the show perfectly shows off the beautiful (at least, when it's not flooded with zombies and blood) countryside of Atlanta.
Honorable mention: The Dukes of Hazzard
11. Hawaii: Hawaii Five-O 
Not to be confused with the reboot, Hawaii Five-0, this series shows that even bad things happen in paradise as the state police work to solve crimes in Hawaii.
Honorable mentions: Baywatch and Magnum PI
12. Idaho: Wayward Pines 
Nothing shows off the beautiful landscape of Idaho quite like CBS's show about a US Secret Service agent in search of his fellow agents in the small town of Wayward Pines, ID.
Honorable mention: The Grinder
13. Illinois: ER 
Before Patrick Dempsey stole our hearts as Dr. Dreamy in Grey's Anatomy, George Clooney helped revive them. While there are certainly quite a few shows to choose from, nothing quite shows the hustle and bustle of The Windy City quite like these emergency room doctors.
Honorable mentions: Chicago Fire, Family Matters, Roseanne, and Mike & Molly
14. Indiana: Parks and Recreation
Not only does the show feature some of our favorite celebrities, but the writers stayed true to the setting by incorporating current events into their episodes, such as the real government shutdown in Pawnee.
Honorable mention: The Middle
15. Iowa: Apple’s Way 
After growing tired of the hectic lifestyle of LA, a man and his family move to his father's hometown of Appleton, IA, to start a new life. Because who doesn't want to raise their kids in one of the safest states in the country?
16. Kansas: Smallville 
Just as the title would suggest, the show really hones in on that small-town lifestyle as Clark Kent goes from boy to Superman.
Honorable mention: Supernatural
17. Kentucky: Justified 
Based on Elmore Leonard's short story "Fire in the Hole," the TV adaption brings the Wild West to life as a tough US Marshal enforces a strict code of justice in his small hometown of Harlan, KY.
Honorable mention: Legacy
18. Lousiana: True Blood
New Orleans isn't the only great part of Louisiana. This dark fantasy really delves into all of the supernatural folklore that the state is famous for in a new and innovative way.
Honorable mention: The Originals
19. Maine: Once Upon a Time 
Storybrooke is almost as magical as Maine itself. Not only does the series show off all the heavy forests in the area (seriously, why are these characters always in the woods?), but the docks are also an ode to the state's famous seafood cuisine.
Honorable mention: Murder She Wrote
20. Maryland: Joan of Arcadia 
The show encompasses the saying, "big things come in small packages" as a young girl performs various miracles in one of the country's smallest states.
21. Massachusetts: Dawson’s Creek 
While the series was actually shot in North Carolina, it still features the state's landscape with various shots of Martha's Vineyard in the opening credits.
Honorable mention: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
22. Michigan: Freaks and Geeks 
After moving to a fictional suburb of Detroit, Lindsay Weir and her younger brother Sam associate their new friends with two stereotypes: freaks and geeks. The neighborhood they live in manages to feel like Michigan, while also feeling like it could be any suburban neighborhood across the country.
Honorable mentions: Sister, Sister, Martin, and Home Improvement
23. Minnesota: Fargo 
While each season picks up in a new place, the first season of this anthology showcases the Land of 10,000 Lakes as a deputy and a police officer set out to solve a string of murders in Bemidji, MN.
Honorable mention: Little House on the Prairie
24. Mississippi: In the Heat of the Night 
Not only does the show feature some great scenery from the region, but it also deals with some of the state's deeply rooted social and political issues.
25. Missouri: Masters of Sex 
Washington University serves as the series' main setting as two researchers of human sexuality explore their research and their relationship.
Honorable mention: Switched at Birth
26. Montana: Buckskin 
A 10-year-old named Jody O'Connell narrates the ongoings of the fictitious Buckskin, MT, during the 1880s in this classic Western series.
27. Nebraska: The Young Riders 
This show follows the life of a group of Pony Express riders based in Nebraska during the years leading up to the Civil War. Some of the riders are even inspired by legendary figures in Old West history.
28. Nevada: Reno 911! 
Some of your favorite comedians illustrate what really goes down behind the scenes in Reno on Comedy Central's take on law enforcement shows.
Honorable mentions: State Trooper, Las Vegas, and Bonanza
29. New Hampshire: Jumanji 
Following the same premise as the film of the same name, the show follows a brother and sister as they try to help their friend escape a crazy board game.
30. New Jersey: The Sopranos
Nothing says Jersey better than Tony Soprano himself. An Italian American mobster based in New Jersey tries to balance his criminal life and his family life in the classic HBO series.
Honorable mentions: House and Boardwalk Empire
31. New Mexico: Breaking Bad 
This widely popular show tells the story of a high school chemistry teacher from Albuquerque, NM, who turns to a life of crime after he is diagnosed with cancer.
Honorable mention: Roswell
32. New York: Sex and the City
No one understands how hard it is to date in the big city better than Carrie Bradshaw and her three best girlfriends.
Honorable mentions: Gossip Girl, Mad Men, Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, and Friends
33. North Carolina: One Tree Hill 
The popular drama follows the lives of two half-brothers who compete for positions on their school's basketball team. Not only was it actually shot in North Carolina, but it often makes references to the state's big college basketball teams.
34. North Dakota: Blood & Oil 
After a huge discovery of oil, a young couple moves to fictitious Rock Springs, ND, to cash in. Not so far off, seeing that the state is well-known for its boom in natural resources.
35. Ohio: Glee 
A group of students in the small town of Lima, OH, learn to overcome stereotypes when they all join the high school glee club.
Honorable mentions: Greek, Clarissa Explains It All, and 3rd Rock From the Sun
36. Oklahoma: Saving Grace 
An Oklahoma City detective with a heavy drinking problem has supernatural encounters with an angel called Earl, who encourages her turn her life around for the better.
37. Oregon: Portlandia 
Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen play a number of outrageous characters that truly encompass the counterculture of the state.
Honorable mentions: Grimm and Bates Motel
38. Pennsylvania: The Office
Known for its single-camera setup, this NBC show follows a group of office employees in Scranton, PA, and the comical situations they get themselves into.
Honorable mentions: Pretty Little Liars and How to Get Away With Murder
39. Rhode Island: Providence 
A wealthy plastic surgeon leaves her glamorous life in Beverly Hills behind so she can be closer with her family in Providence, RI.
Honorable mention: Family Guy
40. South Carolina: Hometown 
Before she was Lois in Malcolm in the Middle, Jane Kaczmarek starred in this heartfelt show about two college sweethearts who tie the knot in their hometown.
41. South Dakota: Deadwood
Set in the 1870s, this HBO show features a group of people in living in Deadwood, SD, before and after the area's annexation.
42. Tennessee: Nashville 
Set in the heart of country music, the hit ABC show does a great job at portraying all the artists trying to make it big in Nashville.
43. Texas: Friday Night Lights 
Everything may be bigger in Texas, but this series really hones in on all the issues that come with being part of a small town.
Honorable mention: King of the Hill
44. Utah: Big Love
Taking place in a state heavily populated by Latter-Day Saints, the show follows a fundamentalist Mormon family that practices polygamy.
Honorable mentions: Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Touched by an Angel
45. Vermont: Newhart 
Vermont may not be heavily populated, but Bob Newhart's character certainly runs into a lot of eccentric residents at his local inn.
46. Virginia: The Vampire Diaries 
They say Virginia is for lovers and that is totally true for the Salvatore brothers, who fall in love with the same girl not once, but twice! There are also some great nods to surrounding states as the characters find themselves in some peculiar situations.
Honorable mentions: Homeland and Quantico
47. Washington: Grey’s Anatomy 
A group of surgical residents learn to be doctors in this fictional hospital set in Seattle. Because nothing says cold and dreary like sick patients and studious students.
Honorable mentions: Frasier and Twin Peaks
48. West Virginia: Hawkins 
In this 1970s show, James Stewart plays a lawyer named Billy Jim Hawkins who attempts to investigate the cases he was involved in.
49. Wisconsin: That 70’s Show 
Nothing screams suburbia in the 1970s quite like this group of teenagers "hangin' out down the street."
Honorable mentions: Happy Days and Step by Step
50. Wyoming: Longmire 
After his wife's death, a Wyoming county sheriff returns to work to help solve the town's major crimes and campaign for reelection. Aside from showing off the state's beautiful prairies, it also showcases the various Native American reservations in the state.
51. Bonus: Washington, DC: House of Cards 
OK, we know this isn't a state, but we had to include the capital! A lot of shows attempt to reveal the ruthless life of politicians in DC, but none do it quite like the Netflix drama.
Honorable mentions: Scandal, The West Wing, X-Files, and Bones