The federal court of appeals map divides the United States into twelve regional circuits, each covering a fixed group of states and territories, with a thirteenth Federal Circuit that hears specialized cases from anywhere in the country.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 41 – Number and Composition of Circuits The circuit where a case is filed determines which appellate court reviews the district court’s decision.
States and Territories in Each Circuit
- D.C. Circuit: District of Columbia
- First Circuit: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island
- Second Circuit: Connecticut, New York, Vermont
- Third Circuit: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands
- Fourth Circuit: Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
- Fifth Circuit: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas
- Sixth Circuit: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee
- Seventh Circuit: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
- Eighth Circuit: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
- Ninth Circuit: Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Washington
- Tenth Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming
- Eleventh Circuit: Alabama, Florida, Georgia
The Ninth Circuit is by far the largest on the map, spanning nine states and two territories across the western United States and Pacific. Its geographic reach has periodically generated proposals to split it into smaller circuits, though none have been enacted. The other circuits are more compact, generally reflecting regional population centers and historical legal ties.
The Federal Circuit Covers the Whole Country by Subject
The Federal Circuit is the thirteenth court of appeals, and it doesn’t appear on a geographic map at all. It draws jurisdiction from the type of case rather than the location. It has exclusive authority over appeals in patent disputes, international trade cases, certain claims against the federal government, and decisions from the Court of Federal Claims and the Court of International Trade.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1295 – Jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit A patent case filed in a Texas district court, for example, would skip the Fifth Circuit entirely and go to the Federal Circuit on appeal.
The point of this arrangement is consistency. Patent law and international trade are technically complex, and channeling all appeals to one court prevents the regional circuits from developing twelve different interpretations of the same patent statute. The Federal Circuit sits in Washington, D.C., at the Howard T. Markey National Courts Building on Lafayette Square.
Why the Boundaries Matter
The circuit map does more than sort paperwork. A decision by one court of appeals binds every district court within that circuit, but it carries no binding weight in other circuits.3United States Courts. Appellate Courts and Cases – Journalist’s Guide A Ninth Circuit ruling on a federal regulation controls how district courts in California, Oregon, and the rest of that circuit interpret the rule, but a district court in Virginia can reach the opposite conclusion under Fourth Circuit law.
When two or more circuits interpret the same federal statute differently, the result is a circuit split. These splits mean that identical conduct can be legal in one part of the country and illegal in another, depending entirely on which circuit the case sits in. Circuit splits are one of the strongest reasons the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case, because federal law is supposed to apply uniformly.
The map matters for agency cases too. Many federal agency decisions go straight to a court of appeals, skipping the district court level.3United States Courts. Appellate Courts and Cases – Journalist’s Guide The statute creating each agency usually specifies which circuit hears the challenge. A petitioner can often file in the circuit where they reside or do business, or in the D.C. Circuit. Some statutes make the D.C. Circuit the exclusive forum, particularly for nationally applicable regulations, which is why that circuit handles a heavy diet of regulatory and administrative law cases despite covering only the District of Columbia.
Where Each Circuit Holds Court
Federal law designates specific cities where each circuit must hold regular sessions:4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 48 – Terms; Chief Judge; Precedence of Judges
- D.C. Circuit: Washington, D.C.
- First Circuit: Boston
- Second Circuit: New York
- Third Circuit: Philadelphia
- Fourth Circuit: Richmond and Asheville
- Fifth Circuit: New Orleans, Fort Worth, Jackson
- Sixth Circuit: Cincinnati
- Seventh Circuit: Chicago
- Eighth Circuit: St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Paul
- Ninth Circuit: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle
- Tenth Circuit: Denver, Wichita, Oklahoma City
- Eleventh Circuit: Atlanta, Jacksonville, Montgomery
- Federal Circuit: Washington, D.C.
Several circuits also schedule oral arguments in cities beyond these statutory seats. The Ninth Circuit, for one, regularly hears cases in Pasadena, Phoenix, and Honolulu alongside its four statutory locations.5United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit. Oral Argument Dates and Locations Those traveling sessions keep the court accessible to attorneys and parties spread across enormous geographic territories. The clerk’s office at each circuit’s primary seat handles all official filings and administrative functions regardless of where oral arguments are held.