No one should ever need an excuse to eat ice cream, but you've got a great one this weekend with National Ice Cream Day coming up on Sunday (July 18).

This third-Sunday-in-July celebration has been a thing since 1984 and in honor of the big day, the folks at Instacart have revealed the top ice cream preference of each of the 50 states in America.

In South Dakota, our top choice has a big celebration in mind - birthday cake ice cream. The cake batter flavor creation with sprinkles on top was also number-one in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia.

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The clear favorite nationwide is Moose Tracks. The vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and fedge stripes was the top choice in no fewer than a dozen states, including four of South Dakota's neighbors, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota.

Moose Tracks also is the top choice in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The second most asked-for ice cream was actually a tie between a traditional favorite and a surprising newcomer.

Five states (Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming) all favor Rock Road, while Green Tea ice cream ruled the roost in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Only a trio of states laid claim to their own unique number-one flavor - Hawaii (Mango),  Delaware (Cherry), and Pennsylvania (Mint Chip).

Here's the complete rundown of all 50 states:

  • Alabama: Moose Tracks
  • Alaska: Green Tea
  • Arizona: Rocky Road
  • Arkansas: Rainbow Sherbet
  • California: Rocky Road
  • Colorado: Green Tea
  • Connecticut: Pistachio
  • Delaware: Cherry
  • Florida: Rum Raisin
  • Georgia: Rum Raisin
  • Hawaii: Mango
  • Idaho: Green Tea
  • Illinois: Moose Tracks
  • Indiana: Moose Tracks
  • Iowa: Moose Tracks
  • Kansas: Rainbow Sherbet
  • Kentucky: Chocolate Chip
  • Louisiana: Birthday Cake
  • Maine: Coffee
  • Maryland: Cookie Dough
  • Massachusetts: Coffee
  • Michigan: Moose Tracks
  • Minnesota: Moose Tracks
  • Mississippi: Birthday Cake
  • Missouri: Cookie Dough
  • Montana: Rainbow Sherbet
  • Nebraska: Moose Tracks
  • Nevada: Rocky Road
  • New Hampshire: Coffee
  • New Jersey: Pistachio
  • New Mexico: Chocolate Chocolate Chip
  • New York: Pistachio
  • North Carolina: Birthday Cake
  • North Dakota: Moose Tracks
  • Ohio: Chocolate Chip
  • Oklahoma: Cookie Dough
  • Oregon: Green Tea
  • Pennsylvania: Mint Chip
  • Rhode Island: Coffee
  • South Carolina: Moose Tracks
  • Tennessee: Moose Tracks
  • Texas: Rainbow Sherbet
  • Utah: Rocky Road
  • Vermont: Coffee
  • Virginia: Birthday Cake
  • Washington: Green Tea
  • Washington, D.C.: Mango
  • West Virginia: Moose Tracks
  • Wisconsin: Moose Tracks
  • Wyoming: Rocky Road

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