Which states qualify as culturally Southern?

[Craziaskowboi]

If you're along or south of U.S. 60, you're in the South, period. If you're along or north of U.S. 50, you're NOT in the South, period. Between U.S. 50 and U.S. 60 is where the North and the South blend, with the culture becoming more Southern closer to U.S. 60, and more Northern closer to U.S. 50. This rule applies as far west as the 96th meridian. Nowhere west of the 96th meridian is in the South.

By the way, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland are not entirely Southern. In fact, Texas and Missouri are mostly NOT Southern. In Texas, the South ends at the Trinity River, which very closely approximates the 96th meridian, and the only region Missouri that's Southern is the "boot heel" and the Ozark Mountains south of about Rolla. The rest of Texas is part of the Great Plains or West, and the rest of Missouri is part of the Midwest. Kentucky is mostly Southern, though northern Kentucky becomes more Midwestern the closer you get to Cincinnati. West Virginia can be divided into even thirds. The southern third is Southern, the northern third is NOT Southern, and the middle third is a blend. Virginia is mostly Southern, and very proud of its Southern heritage at that, but far northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley have never been totally Southern. Maryland used to be more culturally Southern, but I've never really considered it a Southern state, and the last bastion of Southernness in Maryland is the southern half of the Delmarva Peninsula, around Salisbury and Ocean City.