Interesting ideas, but the states connection seemed a bit too obscure. With that many states, there are probably countless equally valid ways of dividing up (eg states bordering Utah/ states with a coastline), and not enough time to try all possibilities.

There are two alternative groups for the states as it could be landlocked and not landlocked.
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Nevada are landlocked.
Alabama, Delaware, Oregon and Texas are not landlocked

Tposer and Al, I get your points and was not something I had noticed.

Nice grid, Thanks for posting! I appreciate its complexity. As a West Virginian, however, I feel compelled to point out that my state capital has no 'w' in it.

WVPuzzler please except my apologies, just a spelling error that I have now put right.