Identity and Standards Guide - Days and Months / State Abbreviations / Stand-alone Cities

Days and months

The names of days should always be spelled out completely. The names of months should not be abbreviated when used in a sentence without a date. Example: Homecoming will be the second Saturday in October.

However, days with a month and date should be abbreviated. Abbreviate all names of months except the short ones (March, April, May, June, July). Example: Today is Sept. 25, 2006. Use the following AP abbreviations for names of months:

Jan.   Feb.   Aug.   Sept.    Oct.   Nov.   Dec.



State names
State names are abbreviated, based on AP style, within sentences and running texts when a city name precedes the state.

Example: Many Concordia students come from Montana. In fact, there are three students from Great Falls, Mont., on her floor.

City names with state names are spelled out only in formal programs, such as the Commencement program. When referring to a city and state, put a comma before and after the state.

When using a complete address that includes a ZIP code, use the two-letter state Postal Service abbreviations. When there is no ZIP code, abbreviate all state names except for the short ones (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah). Use the following AP abbreviations for state names:



Ala. Kan. Nev. S.C.
Ariz. Ky. N.H. S.D.
Ark. La. N.J. Tenn.
Calif. Md. N.M. Vt.
Colo. Mass. N.Y. Va.
Conn. Mich. N.C. Wash.
Del. Minn. N.D. W.Va.
Fla. Miss. Okla. Wis.
Ga. Mo. Ore. Wyo.
Ill. Mont. Pa.
Ind. Neb. R.I.


Stand-alone cities

In body copy, list the following domestic cities without states:

Atlanta Detroit Minneapolis St. Louis
Baltimore Honolulu New Orleans Salt Lake City
Boston Houston New York San Antonio
Chicago Indianapolis Oklahoma City San Diego
Cincinnati Las Vegas Philadelphia San Francisco
Cleveland Los Angeles Phoenix Seattle
Dallas Miami Pittsburgh Washington
Denver Milwaukee


In body copy, list the following non-U.S. cities without countries

Beijing Hong Kong Monaco Rome
Berlin Jerusalem Montreal San Marino
Djibouti Kuwait City Moscow Singapore
Geneva London New Delhi Tokyo
Gibraltar Luxembourg Ottawa Toronto
Guatemala City Macau Paris Vatican City
Havana Mexico City Quebec City

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