A circuit court map of the United States shows the thirteen federal Courts of Appeals: eleven numbered circuits that each cover a group of states, plus the D.C. Circuit and the Federal Circuit. Every state sits entirely within one numbered circuit, so the state where your federal trial court sits determines which Court of Appeals hears any appeal from that case.1U.S. Courts. About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
The Eleven Numbered Circuits and the States They Cover
Boundaries follow state lines. Find your state below and you have your circuit.1U.S. Courts. About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
- First Circuit: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico.
- Second Circuit: Connecticut, New York, and Vermont.
- Third Circuit: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Fourth Circuit: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Fifth Circuit: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
- Sixth Circuit: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
- Seventh Circuit: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
- Eighth Circuit: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
- Ninth Circuit: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. It is the largest circuit by both geography and caseload.2United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. About Us
- Tenth Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.
- Eleventh Circuit: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
The Two Circuits That Aren’t on the Map
Two federal circuits don’t correspond to any group of states, so scanning the geographic map won’t turn them up. The D.C. Circuit handles appeals from the federal district court in Washington, D.C., and reviews decisions issued by major federal regulatory agencies. If you’re challenging a federal agency rule, the appeal often lands there.
The Federal Circuit is defined by subject matter rather than territory. It hears appeals from anywhere in the country involving patents, international trade, government contracts, veterans’ benefits, and certain claims against the federal government.3Legal Information Institute. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit A patent case filed in California and one filed in Maine both go to the Federal Circuit on appeal.
What a Federal Circuit Court Actually Does
The Courts of Appeals sit between the federal trial courts (called District Courts) and the Supreme Court. They are purely appellate. They don’t hold trials, hear witnesses, or take new evidence. Their job is to review whether the trial court applied the law correctly. Most appeals are decided by a panel of three judges, and that panel’s ruling becomes binding law for every district court in the circuit.1U.S. Courts. About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
That binding effect is the practical point of the map. When the Fifth Circuit rules that a federal statute means X, every federal trial court in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas has to follow that interpretation. A district court in the Ninth Circuit can read the same statute differently. The same federal law can effectively mean different things in different parts of the country until the Supreme Court steps in.
For most litigants, the Court of Appeals is the last stop. The Supreme Court accepts roughly one percent of the petitions it receives each term, so a circuit court ruling is functionally final in the vast majority of cases.
Why the Circuit You’re In Can Change the Outcome
Because each circuit interprets federal law independently, two circuits can reach opposite conclusions on the same statute. This is called a circuit split, and it means people in similar situations can get different outcomes based solely on where their case was filed.4Legal Information Institute. Circuit Split
Circuit splits are one of the main reasons the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case. When lower courts disagree on a legal question that affects people nationwide, the Court is far more likely to grant review and set a uniform rule.4Legal Information Institute. Circuit Split Until then, the law of your circuit controls. It’s the reason lawyers pay close attention to which circuit they’re in when they weigh how strong an argument really is.
State Circuit Courts Are a Different Thing
The word “circuit” gets used two different ways, and the map above only covers one of them. At the federal level, a circuit court is an appeals court. At the state level, many states use the same name for their trial courts, where cases start. State circuit courts conduct jury trials, hear evidence, and issue initial rulings on criminal prosecutions, personal injury suits, divorces, and custody matters.
Not every state uses the label. Florida, Virginia, Michigan, and Wisconsin call their general trial courts “circuit courts.” Others use names like “superior court” or “district court” for essentially the same role. Their geographic reach is far more local than the federal circuits, usually a single county or a small cluster of neighboring counties.
So if you’re looking at the federal map to figure out where a divorce or a state criminal case is heard, the map won’t help. Those matters go to a state trial court in your county, not to any of the thirteen federal circuits.
How to Find the Right Court
For a federal appeal, start with the state where the trial court sits. Every state falls entirely within one numbered circuit, so the state tells you the circuit. A case in federal court in Ohio goes to the Sixth Circuit on appeal. A case in federal court in Oregon goes to the Ninth. The list above gives you the full mapping.
For a patent dispute, a claim against the federal government, or another subject-matter appeal that falls under the Federal Circuit, geography doesn’t matter. The appeal goes to the Federal Circuit wherever you filed.
For a state matter, look up your county on the state judiciary’s website to find the courthouse name, address, and filing procedures. Search for the court of general jurisdiction in your county rather than assuming it’s called a “circuit court,” because the name varies by state.