List of landlocked U.S. states

A landlocked state is any state whose territorial boundaries do not touch an ocean, gulf, or bay. All of the landlocked states in the U.S. are situated in the contiguous 48 states on the North American mainland. Sixteen states and the federal capital, Washington, D.C. are considered to be singly landlocked given that one must travel through only one other U.S. state, Mexican state, or Canadian province to reach an ocean, gulf, or bay. One state, Hawaii, is completely insular, meaning it only borders water and no other territories.

• Ten states are considered doubly landlocked because to reach a major body of water, one must travel through two U.S. states, Mexican states, or Canadian provinces.
• Only one state, Nebraska, is triply landlocked as one must travel through three U.S. states, or two U.S. states and one Canadian province to reach an ocean, gulf, or bay.

Singly landlocked

The 16 singly landlocked states, and the District of Columbia, with routes to their nearest ocean, gulf, or bay:

• Arizona – California to the Pacific Ocean or Sonora to the Gulf of California
• Arkansas – Louisiana, Texas , or Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean
• District of Columbia – Virginia or Maryland to the Atlantic Ocean
• Idaho – British Columbia, Washington or Oregon to the Pacific Ocean
• Kentucky – Virginia to the Atlantic Ocean
• Michigan – Ontario (water boundaries) to James Bay, an inlet of Hudson Bay, which is part of the Arctic Ocean
• Minnesota – Ontario to James Bay, or Manitoba to Hudson Bay
• Montana – British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean
• Nevada – California or Oregon to the Pacific Ocean
• New Mexico – Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, or Sonora to the Gulf of California
• North Dakota – Manitoba to Hudson Bay
• Ohio – Ontario (water boundary) to James Bay
• Oklahoma – Texas to the Gulf of Mexico
• Pennsylvania – New York, New Jersey, Delaware, or Maryland to the Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay; or Ontario (water boundary) to James Bay
• Tennessee – North Carolina, Virginia, or Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean; Alabama or Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico
• Vermont – New Hampshire, Massachusetts , New York or Quebec to the Atlantic Ocean (Quebec also bounds the Arctic Ocean, via James Bay, Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay)
• West Virginia – Virginia or Maryland to the Atlantic Ocean

Doubly landlocked

The 10 doubly landlocked states, with routes to their nearest ocean, gulf, or bay:

• Colorado – New Mexico or Oklahoma, then Texas to the Gulf of Mexico; or, Arizona then California to the Pacific Ocean or Sonora to the Gulf of California
• Illinois – Michigan (water boundary) then Ontario to James Bay or, Kentucky then Virginia to the Atlantic Ocean
• Indiana – Michigan then Ontario to Hudson Bay; or, Kentucky then Virginia to the Atlantic Ocean
• Iowa – Minnesota then Manitoba or Ontario to James Bay or Hudson Bay
• Kansas – Oklahoma then Texas to the Gulf of Mexico
• Missouri – Arkansas then Louisiana, or Tennessee then Mississippi, or Oklahoma then Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico; or, Kentucky then Virginia to the Atlantic Ocean
• South Dakota – Minnesota then Ontario to James Bay; or North Dakota then Manitoba to Hudson Bay
• Utah – Idaho then British Columbia, Washington or Oregon to the Pacific Ocean; or Nevada or Arizona, then California to the Pacific Ocean or Sonora to the Gulf of California; or Nevada then Oregon to the Pacific Ocean
• Wisconsin – Michigan or Minnesota, then Ontario to James Bay or Manitoba to Hudson Bay
• Wyoming – Idaho then British Columbia, Washington or Oregon to the Pacific Ocean; or, Montana then British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean

Triply landlocked

Nebraska is the only triply landlocked state.^[1] To reach an ocean, gulf, or bay from Nebraska, one must travel through at least three states, such as through Missouri, Tennessee, and North Carolina to reach the Atlantic Ocean, through Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon to reach the Pacific, or through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to reach the Gulf of Mexico. Alternatively one can travel through the Dakotas and Manitoba, making it two U.S. states and a Canadian province to enter the Hudson Bay.

See also

• Extreme points of the United States
• Geography of the United States
• Landlocked country

References

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