Rankings Geography

Windiest States in the U.S.

South Dakota ranks as the windiest state, with all 50 U.S. states compared by average wind speed, map, and key reasons.

Entries ranked
50
States represented
50
mph
11.5

Key takeaways

Windiest States in the U.S.

South Dakota is the windiest state in the

11.5

South Dakota

South Dakota is the windiest state in the U.S. by average annual wind speed, at about 11.5 mph. Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota round out the top five, all Great Plains states with flat, open land and high elevation.

Florida is the least windy state, averaging

6.2

Florida

Florida is the least windy state, averaging just 6.2 mph. Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia also sit near the bottom. Dense forests, low elevation, and subtropical high-pressure systems keep those states calm most of the year.

Map

Average Wind Speed by State Map

mph
No data
The Great Plains corridor from North Dakota to Oklahoma is the windiest region in the U.S. by average surface wind speed. The Southeast is the calmest region.
Average Wind Speed by State Map
Rank State mph
1 South Dakota 11.5
2 Wyoming 11.4
3 Kansas 11.3
4 Nebraska 11.1
5 North Dakota 11
6 Iowa 10.8
7 Montana 10.7
8 Colorado 10.5
9 Oklahoma 10.4
10 Minnesota 10.2
11 Texas 10.1
12 New Mexico 9.8
13 Michigan 9.4
14 Wisconsin 9.4
15 Illinois 9.1
16 Alaska 9
17 Hawaii 8.9
18 Indiana 8.9
19 Missouri 8.8
20 Ohio 8.7
21 New York 8.6
22 Pennsylvania 8.5
23 Vermont 8.5
24 Maine 8.4
25 Massachusetts 8.4
26 New Hampshire 8.3
27 Utah 8.3
28 Oregon 8.2
29 Idaho 8.1
30 Nevada 8
31 Connecticut 7.9
32 Washington 7.9
33 Maryland 7.8
34 Virginia 7.7
35 New Jersey 7.7
36 West Virginia 7.6
37 Kentucky 7.5
38 Arkansas 7.4
39 Tennessee 7.4
40 Arizona 7.3
41 Delaware 7.1
42 Mississippi 7.1
43 California 7
44 South Carolina 6.9
45 Rhode Island 6.9
46 North Carolina 6.8
47 Georgia 6.7
48 Louisiana 6.4
49 Alabama 6.3
50 Florida 6.2

The Great Plains corridor from North Dakota to Oklahoma is the windiest region in the U.S. by average surface wind speed. The Southeast is the calmest region.

Avg Wind Speed (mph): highest, median, and lowest

Median

8

Across 50 ranked states

The highest value is 1.9× the lowest.

Windiest States in the U.S. Table

50 entries

Distribution

How avg wind speed (mph) varies across 50 states

50 states

The top three states account for 8.0% of the combined total.

The Windiest States in the United States

Top 10 — Avg Wind Speed (mph)

South Dakota flag South Dakota 11.5
Wyoming flag Wyoming 11.4
Kansas flag Kansas 11.3
Nebraska flag Nebraska 11.1
North Dakota flag North Dakota 11.0
Iowa flag Iowa 10.8
Montana flag Montana 10.7
Colorado flag Colorado 10.5
Oklahoma flag Oklahoma 10.4
Minnesota flag Minnesota 10.2

Why Are Some States So Windy?

An aerial view of the Tatanka Wind Farm with wind turbines spread across open prairie and wetlands near the South Dakota border
The Tatanka Wind Farm sits in the open prairie near the South Dakota border, where flat terrain supports strong wind resources.

The Great Plains states top the list because the land is flat and open with almost nothing to block the wind. Cold air pushes south from Canada and warm air rises north from the Gulf of Mexico. Both move freely across hundreds of miles of open prairie.

Mountain states like Wyoming and Colorado are also very windy. Wind speeds up as it squeezes through narrow mountain passes, the same way water moves faster through a narrow pipe. High elevation also means the air above is thinner and moves faster.

Southern states like Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana are the calmest. Dense forests slow wind at the surface. A weather pattern called a subtropical high-pressure system sits over the Southeast for much of the year, pushing air downward and keeping surface winds light.

Is Chicago Really the Windiest City?

The Chicago skyline seen across Lake Michigan from the water on a clear day
Lake Michigan gives Chicago a breezy waterfront, but several U.S. cities still post higher average annual wind speeds.

Chicago is called the Windy City, but it is not the windiest city in the United States. The nickname most likely started in 1893 when a New York newspaper called Chicago politicians 'windbags' ahead of the city's bid to host the World's Fair. It was a political insult, not a weather observation.

By NOAA data, Chicago averages around 10.3 mph. Amarillo, Texas averages 13.5 mph. Cheyenne, Wyoming averages 12.8 mph. Boston and Oklahoma City both beat Chicago too. Illinois itself ranks 15th among the 50 states, well behind the Great Plains.

Quick Answers

What is the windiest state in the U.S.?
South Dakota is the windiest state in the U.S. by average annual wind speed, at approximately 11.5 mph. Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota round out the top five. All five are Great Plains states where flat terrain and high elevation produce consistent winds.
What is the windiest city in the United States?
Amarillo, Texas, consistently ranks among the windiest large cities at around 13.5 mph. Cheyenne, Wyoming (12.8 mph), Wichita, Kansas (12.7 mph), Boston, Massachusetts (12.4 mph), and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (12.2 mph) also rank near the top. Chicago averages about 10.3 mph.
Is Chicago really the Windiest City?
No. The nickname most likely came from an 1893 newspaper editorial calling Chicago politicians 'windbags,' not from weather data. By average annual wind speed, Chicago (around 10.3 mph) ranks below Amarillo, Cheyenne, Wichita, Boston, and several other U.S. cities. Illinois ranks 15th among the 50 states.
Why is the Great Plains so windy?
The Great Plains is flat, open, and elevated with almost no terrain to slow the wind. Cold air from Canada and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico travel freely across the plain for hundreds of miles. There are no mountains or forests in between to interrupt them.
What is the least windy state in the U.S.?
Florida is the least windy state, averaging about 6.2 mph annually. Alabama (6.3 mph), Louisiana (6.4 mph), and Georgia (6.7 mph) also rank near the bottom. Low elevation, dense forest cover, and subtropical high-pressure systems keep these states calm most of the year.
Why is Mount Washington in New Hampshire so windy?
Mount Washington sits at the intersection of three major storm tracks and its summit has no shelter from any direction. A gust of 231 mph was recorded there on April 12, 1934, a world record for a staffed weather station that stood for 62 years. The summit averages 35 mph year-round.

Methodology

Average wind speed figures reflect annual statewide averages from NOAA Comparative Climate Data weather station records and NREL state wind resource assessments. Values are long-term annual means rounded to the nearest tenth of a mile per hour.

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