Guide Rankings Geography Updated July 11, 2026

National Monuments by State

Map of national monuments by state in the United States

National Monuments by State

Ranking - Geography

California has 20 national monuments, the most of any state. Devils Tower in Wyoming was the first, proclaimed in 1906.

Quick Answer

National Monuments by State

  1. 1

    National monuments by state counts put California first with 20, including Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands, both designated in January 2025. Arizona ranks second with 19.

  2. 2

    Devils Tower in Wyoming became the first national monument on September 24, 1906. Wyoming holds only 2 today, while New Mexico ranks third with 13.

  3. 3

    Seventeen states have no national monuments, including North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The United States has 138 in total across 33 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories.

Map

National Monuments by State Map

Monuments
No data
California ranks first with 20 national monuments, and Arizona has 19. Seventeen states have none.
National Monuments by State Map
Rank State Monuments
1 California 20
2 Arizona 19
3 New Mexico 13
4 Colorado 9
5 Utah 9
6 New York 6
7 Alaska 5
8 Nevada 4
9 Oregon 4
10 Texas 4
11 Alabama 3
12 Montana 3
13 Virginia 3
14 Washington 3
15 Florida 2
16 Georgia 2
17 Hawaii 2
18 Idaho 2
19 Illinois 2
20 Kentucky 2
21 Maine 2
22 Maryland 2
23 Minnesota 2
24 Mississippi 2
25 Nebraska 2
26 Wyoming 2
27 Iowa 1
28 Louisiana 1
29 Missouri 1
30 New Jersey 1
31 Ohio 1
32 Pennsylvania 1
33 South Dakota 1
34 Arkansas 0
35 Connecticut 0
36 Delaware 0
37 Indiana 0
38 Kansas 0
39 Massachusetts 0
40 Michigan 0
41 New Hampshire 0
42 North Carolina 0
43 North Dakota 0
44 Oklahoma 0
45 Rhode Island 0
46 South Carolina 0
47 Tennessee 0
48 Vermont 0
49 West Virginia 0
50 Wisconsin 0

California ranks first with 20 national monuments, and Arizona has 19. Seventeen states have none.

National Monuments by State Table

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Print-ready table — National Monuments by State

States With the Most and Fewest National Monuments

Highest

20
California flag
California #1

Lowest

0
Wisconsin flag
Wisconsin #50

Top 10 Highest — National Monuments

#1 California flag California
20
#2 Arizona flag Arizona
19
#3 New Mexico flag New Mexico
13
#4 Colorado flag Colorado
9
#5 Utah flag Utah
9
#6 New York flag New York
6
#7 Alaska flag Alaska
5
#8 Nevada flag Nevada
4
#9 Oregon flag Oregon
4
#10 Texas flag Texas
4

Top 10 Lowest — National Monuments

#50 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
0
#49 West Virginia flag West Virginia
0
#48 Vermont flag Vermont
0
#47 Tennessee flag Tennessee
0
#46 South Carolina flag South Carolina
0
#45 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
0
#44 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
0
#43 North Dakota flag North Dakota
0
#42 North Carolina flag North Carolina
0
#41 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
0

States With the Most National Monuments

Spider Rock sandstone spire in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
Arizona ranks second in the table with 19 national monuments, including Canyon de Chelly.

California leads with 20 national monuments, from Muir Woods near San Francisco to Mojave Trails, a 1.6 million acre desert corridor. Arizona follows with 19, including Canyon de Chelly, Organ Pipe Cactus, and Vermilion Cliffs.

New Mexico ranks third with 13 monuments, among them Bandelier, El Malpais, and El Morro. Colorado and Utah tie at 9 each, sharing Dinosaur and Hovenweep across their common border.

Rank
1
State
California
Monuments
20
Best-Known Monument
Muir Woods
Rank
2
State
Arizona
Monuments
19
Best-Known Monument
Montezuma Castle
Rank
3
State
New Mexico
Monuments
13
Best-Known Monument
Bandelier
Rank
4
State
Colorado
Monuments
9
Best-Known Monument
Dinosaur
Rank
5
State
Utah
Monuments
9
Best-Known Monument
Bears Ears
Rank
6
State
New York
Monuments
6
Best-Known Monument
Statue of Liberty
Rank
7
State
Alaska
Monuments
5
Best-Known Monument
Misty Fiords
Rank
8
State
Nevada
Monuments
4
Best-Known Monument
Gold Butte
Rank
9
State
Oregon
Monuments
4
Best-Known Monument
Oregon Caves
Rank
10
State
Texas
Monuments
4
Best-Known Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries

Oldest and Newest National Monuments

Devils Tower rising above pine forest in northeastern Wyoming
Devils Tower in Wyoming became the first national monument on September 24, 1906.

Devils Tower in Wyoming became the first national monument on September 24, 1906, proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt under the Antiquities Act. El Morro in New Mexico and Montezuma Castle in Arizona followed on December 8, 1906.

Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands, both in California, are the newest monuments, designated on January 14, 2025. Frances Perkins in Maine preceded them in December 2024.

Largest National Monuments by Acreage

Slot canyon walls in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah spans 1.87 million acres.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off Hawaii covers 372.8 million acres of ocean, the largest of all 138 monuments. Misty Fjords in Alaska is the largest on land at 2,294,072 acres.

Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah spans 1.87 million acres, and Mojave Trails in California covers 1.6 million. Bears Ears in Utah reaches 1.36 million acres.

Quick Answers

Which state has the most national monuments?
California has the most with 20, one ahead of Arizona's 19. The two January 2025 designations, Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands, moved California past Arizona.
How many national monuments are there in the United States?
The United States has 138 national monuments spread across 33 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories. The National Park Service manages 89 of them.
Which states have no national monuments?
Seventeen states have none. They are Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
What was the first national monument?
Devils Tower in Wyoming, proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906. El Morro and Montezuma Castle followed on December 8 of the same year.
What is the largest national monument?
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument covers 372.8 million acres of the Pacific Ocean off Hawaii. On land, Misty Fjords in Alaska is the largest at 2,294,072 acres.
Who manages national monuments?
The National Park Service manages 89 of the 138 monuments. The Bureau of Land Management oversees 31, the Forest Service 16, the Fish and Wildlife Service 9, and NOAA 5.

Methodology

Monument counts follow the National Park Service designation list, accessed July 2026. Monuments spanning two states, such as Dinosaur and Hovenweep, count once for each state.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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