List of U.S. states by coastline
Encyclopedia
This is a list of U.S. state
s having an ocean coastline
, ranked by coastline length. Two different methods are used. The data for method 1 was retrieved from a CRS
Report for Congress
using data from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
, The Coastline of the United States
, 1975.
Measurements were made using large-scale nautical chart
s. The figures shown suffer from the inaccuracy inherent in all attempts at measuring coastlines
but are nevertheless useful for comparison. The figure for Connecticut was arrived at separately and may not reflect the correct comparative distance.
The data for method 2 is from a list maintained by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA). The state coastline lengths were computed by an unspecified method which include tidal areas not included in the first method. These numbers also include the Great Lakes coastlines.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s having an ocean coastline
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
, ranked by coastline length. Two different methods are used. The data for method 1 was retrieved from a CRS
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
Report for Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
using data from U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
, The Coastline of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 1975.
Measurements were made using large-scale nautical chart
Nautical chart
A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land , natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and man-made aids...
s. The figures shown suffer from the inaccuracy inherent in all attempts at measuring coastlines
How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension
"How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension" is a paper by mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot, first published in Science in 1967. In this paper Mandelbrot discusses self-similar curves that have Hausdorff dimension between 1 and 2...
but are nevertheless useful for comparison. The figure for Connecticut was arrived at separately and may not reflect the correct comparative distance.
The data for method 2 is from a list maintained by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA). The state coastline lengths were computed by an unspecified method which include tidal areas not included in the first method. These numbers also include the Great Lakes coastlines.
| State | Coastline (method 1) | Rank | Coastline (method 2) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alaska |
6640 miles (10,686 km) | 1 | 33904 miles (54,563.1 km) | 1 |
 Florida |
1350 miles (2,172.6 km) | 2 | 8436 miles (13,576.4 km) | 2 |
 California |
840 miles (1,351.8 km) | 3 | 3427 miles (5,515.2 km) | 5 |
 Hawaii |
750 miles (1,207 km) | 4 | 1052 miles (1,693 km) | 18 |
 Louisiana |
397 miles (638.9 km) | 5 | 7721 miles (12,425.7 km) | 3 |
 Republic of Texas |
367 miles (590.6 km) | 6 | 3359 miles (5,405.8 km) | 7 |
 North Carolina |
301 miles (484.4 km) | 7 | 3375 miles (5,431.5 km) | 6 |
 Oregon |
296 miles (476.4 km) | 8 | 1410 miles (2,269.2 km) | 17 |
 Maine |
228 miles (366.9 km) | 9 | 3478 miles (5,597.3 km) | 4 |
 Massachusetts |
192 miles (309 km) | 10 | 1519 miles (2,444.6 km) | 16 |
 South Carolina |
187 miles (300.9 km) | 11 | 2876 miles (4,628.5 km) | 12 |
 Washington |
157 miles (252.7 km) | 12 | 3026 miles (4,869.9 km) | 11 |
 New Jersey |
130 miles (209.2 km) | 13 | 1792 miles (2,883.9 km) | 15 |
 New York |
127 miles (204.4 km) | 14 | 2625 miles (4,224.5 km) | 13 |
 Virginia |
112 miles (180.2 km) | 15 | 3315 miles (5,335 km) | 8 |
 Georgia (U.S. state) |
100 miles (160.9 km) | 16 | 2344 miles (3,772.3 km) | 14 |
 Connecticut |
96 miles (154.5 km) | 17 | 618 miles (994.6 km) | 20 |
 Alabama |
53 miles (85.3 km) | 18 | 607 miles (976.9 km) | 21 |
 Mississippi |
44 miles (70.8 km) | 19 | 359 miles (577.8 km) | 24 |
 Rhode Island |
40 miles (64.4 km) | 20 | 384 miles (618 km) | 22 |
 Maryland |
31 miles (49.9 km) | 21 | 3190 miles (5,133.8 km) | 10 |
 Delaware |
28 miles (45.1 km) | 22 | 381 miles (613.2 km) | 23 |
 New Hampshire |
18 miles (29 km) | 23 | 131 miles (210.8 km) | 28 |
 Michigan |
– | - | 3224 miles (5,188.5 km) | 9 |
 Wisconsin |
– | - | 820 miles (1,319.7 km) | 19 |
 Ohio |
– | - | 312 miles (502.1 km) | 25 |
 Minnesota |
– | - | 189 miles (304.2 km) | 26 |
 Pennsylvania |
– | - | 140 miles (225.3 km) | 27 |
 Illinois |
– | - | 63 miles (101.4 km) | 29 |
 Indiana |
– | - | 45 miles (72.4 km) | 30 |
| Total | 12479 miles (20,083 km) | 94122 miles (151,474.3 km) |
See also
- Coastline paradoxCoastline paradoxThe coastline paradox is the counterintuitive observation that the coastline of a landmass does not have a well-defined length. This results from the fractal-like properties of coastlines. It was first observed by Lewis Fry Richardson....
- List of countries by length of coastline
- List of countries by coast/area ratio
- How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional DimensionHow Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension"How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension" is a paper by mathematician Benoît Mandelbrot, first published in Science in 1967. In this paper Mandelbrot discusses self-similar curves that have Hausdorff dimension between 1 and 2...