Hawaii and Alaska Are Not in the Continental United States

The continental U.S. (CONUS) comprises the 48 contiguous states on the North American mainland.

• Hawaii: Archipelago in the central Pacific (~2,400 mi from California).
• Alaska: Northwest extremity of North America, separated from CONUS by Canada.

Both are non-contiguous states. "Contiguous" = sharing borders; "continental" = on the same continent. Alaska is continental but not contiguous. Hawaii is neither.