The Rhode Island abbreviation for mail, forms and online addresses is RI, two capital letters with no periods. Newspapers and older references often prefer R.I., which puts a dot after the R and after the I.
Either form names the smallest state in the country by area, home to the capital city of Providence. Which one you use depends on where it is going: an envelope or a form calls for RI, while a news caption or a dateline might use R.I.
Quick facts
Postal code
RITraditional abbreviation
R.I.AP style
Spell out Rhode Island in running text; R.I. in datelines and tight spacesPeriods
None in RI; one after each letter in R.I.Capital
ProvidenceNot to be confused with
RH, which is not a US state code
Rhode Island abbreviation options side by side
| Form | Where it is used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| RI | Envelopes, packages, forms, online checkout | Providence, RI 02903 |
| R.I. | Traditional writing, AP datelines, captions | NEWPORT, R.I. |
| Rhode Island | Sentences in articles, essays and letters | We drove to Rhode Island for the weekend. |
The rule of thumb: machines and mail get RI. People reading a sentence get the full name.
RI: the code for mail and forms
The US Postal Service uses two letter state codes so that sorting machines can read addresses quickly. Rhode Island's code is RI. Always write it in capitals, never with periods, and put it after the city name with the ZIP code next.
On an envelope:
Ana Ruiz
45 Harbor Lane
Newport RI 02840
Here RI tells the post office the state. Postal guidelines leave out the comma before RI, though most carriers accept it either way.
Online forms that have a state drop down list will show RI or the full name. Driver's license and shipping systems use the same code.
Where R.I. still shows up
Long before ZIP codes, writers shortened each state their own way, and those older forms settled into style books. For Rhode Island it was R.I. You still see it in older books, in some legal citations and in newspapers.
AP style, which many news outlets follow, wants Rhode Island written in full inside the text of an article. R.I. survives where space runs short, such as datelines, photo captions and lists. The postal code RI is not used in AP news copy except in a full mailing address.
Mix ups to avoid
Rhode Island's code is simple, but nearby New England codes trip people up.
- RI is Rhode Island. RH is not a code for anything in the US system.
- MA is Massachusetts, Rhode Island's neighbor to the north and east.
- CT is Connecticut, its neighbor to the west.
- ME is Maine and MD is Maryland, which are often confused with each other.
For every state code side by side, see the state abbreviations chart.
A little about the name
The state is mostly on the mainland, not on an island. The name has long been linked to Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay, which some locals still call Rhode Island, but historians are not fully settled on how the name first came about. For a long time the formal name was the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Voters later approved shortening it to the State of Rhode Island.
None of this changes the code. RI and R.I. stand for the whole state.
Sample lines with the abbreviation
- "Ship to: 12 Elm St., Warwick RI 02886"
- "PROVIDENCE, R.I. City officials met on Monday to review the budget."
- "State: RI" on a job application.
- "She grew up in Rhode Island and moved to Ohio for college."
The last line spells the state out, the usual choice inside a sentence. Learn more about short forms in general on our how to abbreviate guide.
Questions people ask
What two letters stand for Rhode Island on mail?
It is RI, written in capitals without dots. The Postal Service uses it on mail, and most forms and websites use it too.
Is the Rhode Island abbreviation RI or R.I.?
Both are correct in different places. Use RI on envelopes and forms. R.I. is the older style form that news writers keep for datelines and captions.
How does AP style abbreviate Rhode Island?
AP style spells out Rhode Island in the body of a story. When an abbreviation is needed, such as in a dateline or a caption, it uses R.I.
Is Rhode Island actually an island?
Mostly no. The state is largely on the mainland, though it includes islands in Narragansett Bay, and one of them, Aquidneck Island, is sometimes called Rhode Island.
Should I write Rhode Island or RI in an essay?
Write out Rhode Island in essays, reports and letters. Keep RI for envelopes, forms and crowded charts.