Coastline of the United States
Coastline of the United States
Ranking - Geography
Alaska has 6,640 miles of ocean coastline, by far the most of any U.S. state. Its deeply indented Pacific and Arctic shores make it the clear outlier in any coastline ranking.
Quick Answer
Coastline of the United States
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1
Alaska has 6,640 miles of ocean coastline, the most of any U.S. state. Florida ranks second at 1,350 miles, the longest in the contiguous United States.
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2
Texas ranks 6th with 367 miles on the Gulf of Mexico despite being the second-largest state by land area. Louisiana ranks 5th with 397 miles, placing it ahead of Texas.
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3
New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any coastal state at 13 miles. Twenty-seven states, including Arizona, Colorado, and Ohio, have no ocean coastline.
Map
U.S. States by Coastline Length Map
| Rank | State | mi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 6,640 |
| 2 | Florida | 1,350 |
| 3 | California | 840 |
| 4 | Hawaii | 750 |
| 5 | Louisiana | 397 |
| 6 | Texas | 367 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 301 |
| 8 | Oregon | 296 |
| 9 | Maine | 228 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 192 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 187 |
| 12 | Washington | 157 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 130 |
| 14 | New York | 127 |
| 15 | Virginia | 112 |
| 16 | Georgia | 100 |
| 17 | Connecticut | 96 |
| 18 | Alabama | 53 |
| 19 | Mississippi | 44 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 40 |
| 21 | Maryland | 31 |
| 22 | Delaware | 28 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 13 |
Alaska's 6,640 miles and Florida's 1,350 miles are the two highest values on the scale. New Hampshire (13 mi) anchors the low end among coastal states.
Coastline of the United States Table
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|
Rank
|
State
|
Coastline (mi)
|
Coast
|
Region
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
6640 | Pacific & Arctic | West |
| 2 |
|
1350 | Atlantic & Gulf | South |
| 3 |
|
840 | Pacific | West |
| 4 |
|
750 | Pacific | West |
| 5 |
|
397 | Gulf | South |
| 6 |
|
367 | Gulf | South |
| 7 |
|
301 | Atlantic | South |
| 8 |
|
296 | Pacific | West |
| 9 |
|
228 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 10 |
|
192 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 11 |
|
187 | Atlantic | South |
| 12 |
|
157 | Pacific | West |
| 13 |
|
130 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 14 |
|
127 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 15 |
|
112 | Atlantic | South |
| 16 |
|
100 | Atlantic | South |
| 17 |
|
96 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 18 |
|
53 | Gulf | South |
| 19 |
|
44 | Gulf | South |
| 20 |
|
40 | Atlantic | Northeast |
| 21 |
|
31 | Atlantic | South |
| 22 |
|
28 | Atlantic | South |
| 23 |
|
13 | Atlantic | Northeast |
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Print-ready table — Coastline of the United States
Longest and Shortest Ocean Coastlines by U.S. State
Highest
Lowest
Top 10 Highest — Coastline (mi)
Alaska
Florida
California
Hawaii
Louisiana
Texas
North Carolina
Oregon
Maine
Massachusetts
Top 10 Lowest — Coastline (mi)
New Hampshire
Delaware
Maryland
Rhode Island
Mississippi
Alabama
Connecticut
Georgia
Virginia
New York
States with the Longest Coastline
Alaska leads all states at 6,640 miles. Florida ranks second at 1,350 miles, the longest in the contiguous U.S., with California (840 mi, #3) and Hawaii (750 mi, #4) next.
Louisiana (#5, 397 mi) and Texas (#6, 367 mi) are the top Gulf Coast states outside Florida. Oregon (296 mi, #8) and Maine (228 mi, #9) lead the Pacific and Atlantic tiers below the top four.
| Rank | State | Coastline (mi) | Coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 6640 | Pacific & Arctic |
| 2 | Florida | 1350 | Atlantic & Gulf |
| 3 | California | 840 | Pacific |
| 4 | Hawaii | 750 | Pacific |
| 5 | Louisiana | 397 | Gulf |
States with the Shortest Ocean Coastline
New Hampshire has 13 miles of ocean coastline, the least of any coastal U.S. state. Delaware (28 mi, #22) and Maryland (31 mi, #21) rank just above it.
Rhode Island (40 mi, #20), Mississippi (44 mi, #19), and Alabama (53 mi, #18) each fall under 60 miles. Twenty-seven states have no ocean coastline, including Montana, Colorado, and Ohio.
| Rank | State | Coastline (mi) | Coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Alabama | 53 | Gulf |
| 19 | Mississippi | 44 | Gulf |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 40 | Atlantic |
| 21 | Maryland | 31 | Atlantic |
| 22 | Delaware | 28 | Atlantic |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 13 | Atlantic |
Quick Answers
Which state has the most coastline?
Which state has the longest coastline in the lower 48?
How much coastline does Texas have?
Which state has the shortest coastline?
How many U.S. states have no ocean coastline?
How much coastline does California have?
Methodology
Coastline figures use NOAA's general coastline measurement, which traces only the outer coast and excludes inland tidal waters, per NOAA 'Coastlines of the United States,' National Ocean Survey, 1975. Tidal shoreline figures, which follow every inlet and tidal creek, are much larger and are not used here.
Sources
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Compare Coastline Length Between States
Choose two states and see how their ocean coastline compares.