Kan.

Geography & Places abbreviation · US State Traditional

Kan. stands for Kansas, a US state traditional abbreviation.

AP's abbreviation for Kansas, used in datelines (LAWRENCE, Kan.), party labels (R-Kan.) and sports and stock tables. The Bluebook also uses Kan., while the Government Publishing Office prefers the four-letter Kans., so both forms are correct in their own systems.

Example: LAWRENCE, Kan. — Fans packed Allen Fieldhouse hours before tipoff.

Usage notes

Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., are separate cities on either side of the state line, so news copy that mentions KC often needs the state abbreviation. The postal code KS dates from 1963. In AP running text the state name is spelled out.

Related abbreviations

More US state traditional abbreviations

• Colo. – Colorado
• Conn. – Connecticut
• Del. – Delaware
• Fla. – Florida
• Ill. – Illinois
• Ind. – Indiana
• Kans. – Kansas
• Mass. – Massachusetts
• Mich. – Michigan
• Minn. – Minnesota
• Miss. – Mississippi
• Mont. – Montana

See all 36 US state traditional abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.