Genealogy Resources by State
Updated
Most records about your ancestors were created close to home: by a county clerk, a church, a state health department or a local newspaper. Knowing where your family lived, and when, tells you where to look. Here’s where to start for every U.S. state.
Start with the big two
Both sites let you narrow a search to one state. On FamilySearch, open the Research Wiki page for your state (links below) and look for the “Online Records” section. On Ancestry, choose Search, then filter by location to see collections for that state.
FamilySearch
The largest free genealogy site in the world, run as a nonprofit by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A free account is all you need.
- Billions of names in historical records, many with images of the originals
- One shared, free Family Tree that relatives can build together
- The Research Wiki: how-to guides for every state and country
- Free help at thousands of FamilySearch Centers and the library in Salt Lake City
Ancestry
The biggest subscription site, with billions of records, helpful “hints,” and the largest consumer DNA database (AncestryDNA).
- Building a family tree is free; searching most records needs a subscription or free trial
- Strong U.S. census, military, immigration and newspaper collections
- Also owns Newspapers.com, Fold3 and Find a Grave
- Many public libraries offer Ancestry Library Edition free on site
Free national resources that work for every state
Where to Write for Vital Records
The CDC’s directory of every state’s vital records office, with what each one holds and how to order copies.
Chronicling America
Free historic newspapers from every state. Filter by state to find local papers.
BLM Land Records
Federal land patents for the 30 public-land states (not the original colonies, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, Maine or Hawaii).
Find a Grave
Search cemeteries by state and county. Headstones often confirm birth and death dates.
Detailed state guides
We’ve written fuller guides for these states, with the archives, vital records offices, newspapers and libraries that matter most:
- California Genealogy Resources
- New York Genealogy Resources
- Texas Genealogy Resources
- Utah Genealogy Resources
Resources for all 50 states
For each state: the FamilySearch Research Wiki guide (the best free overview of what records exist), the official state archives, and the USGenWeb volunteer site with county pages.
Don’t stop at the state level. Most older records, including deeds, wills, marriages and court cases, are kept by the county. The Research Wiki and USGenWeb both have a page for each county.