Guide Rankings Geography Updated May 18, 2026

Windiest States in the U.S. — All 50 Ranked by Average Wind Speed

Map of the United States showing average annual wind speed by state, with the Great Plains and Mountain West highlighted as the windiest region

Windiest States in the U.S. — All 50 Ranked by Average Wind Speed

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Editorial Summary
  1. 1

    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 five are Great Plains states with flat, open land and high elevation that give wind nothing to slow it down.

  2. 2

    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

mph
6.2
7.53
8.85
10.2
11.5
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
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.

Windiest States in the U.S. — All 50 Ranked by Average Wind Speed

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The Windiest States in the United States

Highest

11.5
South Dakota flag
South Dakota #1

Top 10 — Avg Wind Speed (mph)

#1 South Dakota flag South Dakota
11.5
#2 Wyoming flag Wyoming
11.4
#3 Kansas flag Kansas
11.3
#4 Nebraska flag Nebraska
11.1
#5 North Dakota flag North Dakota
11.0
#6 Iowa flag Iowa
10.8
#7 Montana flag Montana
10.7
#8 Colorado flag Colorado
10.5
#9 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
10.4
#10 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.
Which state produces the most wind energy?
Texas produces the most wind energy in the U.S. by total installed capacity, accounting for roughly 25% of the country's wind power. Iowa generates the highest share of its electricity from wind at over 60%. North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois are also leading wind energy states.
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

How we researched this list

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.

Sources

Sources & references

  1. 1
    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information — Climate Data

    Official NOAA long-term average wind speed data from surface weather station records across U.S. states

    https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/wind/
  2. 2
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) — Wind Resource Maps

    NREL state-level wind resource assessments used for annual average wind speed estimates

    https://www.nrel.gov/gis/wind-resource-maps.html
  3. 3
    NOAA — Comparative Climate Data

    Annual normals and wind speed averages from U.S. weather stations, used for city and statewide comparisons

    https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/comparative-climate-data

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