Coastal States

A coastal state is a state that is not landlocked. The United States has a total of 30 coastal states with over 12,000 miles of ocean coastline. There are five different coasts of the United States: the Atlantic Coast (East Coast), the Pacific Coast (West Coast), the Gulf Coast, the Arctic Coast, and lake states.

There are 14 Atlantic Coast states. The Atlantic Coast states were estimated to have over 118 million residents, according to 2017 estimates, approximately 36% of the country’s total population. The largest state on the Atlantic Coast is Florida, with 1,350 miles of coastline. The Atlantic Coast state with the least amount of shoreline is New Hampshire, with 13 miles. Some notable cities along the Atlantic Coast are New York City; Jacksonville, Florida; and Boston, Massachusetts. The Atlantic Coast states are:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Florida
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Virginia

There are five Pacific Coast states. According to 2017 estimates, the Pacific Coast states had a population of approximately 51 million, less than half of the Atlantic Coast. The largest Pacific Coast state is Alaska, with over 6,600 miles of coastline. The Pacific Coast state with the least amount of coastline is Washington, with 157 miles. Some notable cities along the Pacific Coast are Los Angeles, California, and San Francisco, California. The Pacific Coast states are:

• Alaska
• California
• Hawaii
• Oregon
• Washington

There are five states on the Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast sits on the Gulf of Mexico, where fishing, energy, aerospace, and agriculture dominate the economy. Florida is both an Atlantic Coast State and a Gulf Coast state. Some notable cities along the Gulf Coast are St. Petersburg, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Mobile, Alabama. The Gulf Coast states are:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Texas

There is only one state that is considered to be an Arctic Coast state, which is Alaska. Alaska has a coastline on both the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

There are eight lake states. The lake states are also known as the Great Lake states because they all have a coastline along the five Great Lakes. New York is both an Atlantic Coast state and a Great Lake coast state. Some notable cities along the Great Lake coastline are Green Bay, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; and Cleveland, Ohio. The Great Lake Coast states are:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Wisconsin