The US States With The Most Ocean Shoreline

Alaska has so much ocean coast that the other forty-nine states are basically fighting over second place. At 6,640 miles by NOAA's general coastline count, it laps the field, and everyone behind it is chasing a much smaller prize. That count keeps things fair by tracing the broad seaward edge and ignoring every tidal creek and marsh channel, which is why the race for the bottom of the top ten is a nail-biter: Massachusetts edges South Carolina by a mere five miles. In between sit Arctic fjords, tropical reefs, Gulf wetlands, barrier beaches, and granite headlands, and here is how the ten longest ocean coasts stack up.

Alaska, 6,640 Miles

Alaska's 6,640 miles of general coastline dwarf every other state in NOAA's federal comparison. About 5,580 miles face the Pacific, and another 1,060 miles front Arctic waters. That figure takes in the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, the Gulf of Alaska, and the fjord-cut coast of the southeast. Kenai Fjords National Park alone holds more than 400 miles of coast, according to the National Park Service. Boat trips out of Seward pass tidewater glaciers, steep rock walls, seabird colonies, whales, and sea lions.

Glacier Bay adds another vast section of protected shore. The national park spans 3.3 million acres and holds deep marine inlets carved by ice. Its coastal waters lie beneath the Fairweather Range, where glaciers descend through mountain valleys toward salt water. Alaska's federal total runs 5,290 miles ahead of Florida, a margin wider than the coastlines of the other nine states put together.

Florida, 1,350 Miles

Florida has 1,350 miles of general coastline, the highest total in the contiguous United States. NOAA assigns about 580 miles to the Atlantic side and 770 miles to the Gulf side. On the Atlantic coast, Canaveral National Seashore protects barrier beach, dunes, coastal hammock, and Mosquito Lagoon.

The Florida Keys reach deep into subtropical water. Dry Tortugas National Park lies almost 70 miles west of Key West and covers about 100 square miles, mostly open water. Seven small islands sit inside the park, along with Fort Jefferson, coral habitat, and major seabird nesting areas.

The two coasts can look completely different on the same trip. Atlantic beaches face stronger surf and long barrier islands, while many Gulf beaches open onto shallower water. Farther south, coral reefs and low limestone islands define the Keys. At 1,350 miles, Florida ranks 510 miles ahead of California, its nearest competitor in the lower 48.

California, 840 Miles

California's 840 miles of general coastline rank third nationally. The Pacific edge takes in broad beaches, rocky headlands, offshore islands, marine terraces, and high sea cliffs. Point Reyes National Seashore protects more than 70,000 acres north of San Francisco, where the National Park Service has recorded more than 1,500 plant and animal species. Beaches and headlands sit close to grasslands, estuaries, and forest. Farther south, Channel Islands National Park protects five islands and the surrounding ocean. Long isolation produced endemic wildlife there, including the island fox and several plants found nowhere else, and sea caves, kelp forests, nesting seabirds, and remote coves fill the offshore scenery. Along the mainland, Big Sur brings high coastal slopes and the famous Highway 1 viewpoints. A single drive can take in elephant seals near Point Reyes, giant cliffs around Big Sur, and island foxes offshore.

Hawaii, 750 Miles

Hawaii records 750 miles of general coastline despite holding far less land than California or Florida. Separate shorelines wrap around the eight main islands and numerous smaller ones. Black lava, coral sand, sea cliffs, reef flats, and sheltered bays all appear within the state. Some of its youngest coastal terrain lies inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, where Chain of Craters Road drops toward the sea across lava flows left by repeated eruptions.

Near the water, Hōlei Sea Arch rises about 90 feet, according to the National Park Service. Waves cut the arch into lava estimated at roughly 550 years old. Kauaʻi holds much older volcanic terrain, including deeply eroded valleys and tall sea cliffs along its northwest coast. Hawaiʻi Island keeps comparatively young lava surfaces, while erosion has reshaped Kauaʻi over millions of years, so both stages of volcanic island development are visible within the same state.

Louisiana, 397 Miles

Louisiana has 397 miles of general Gulf coastline in NOAA's broad federal measurement. Its detailed tidal shoreline runs vastly longer, because bays, bayous, marsh edges, channels, and Mississippi River distributaries carve out a complicated water boundary. Grand Isle offers direct access to the Gulf-facing barrier coast.

Grand Isle is the only inhabited barrier island in Louisiana. More than seven miles of public beach line the island, with another mile inside Grand Isle State Park. Fishing piers, kayak launches, bird habitat, and sandy Gulf frontage fit onto a remarkably narrow piece of land.

Breton National Wildlife Refuge protects low offshore islands used by nesting seabirds and migratory shorebirds. Louisiana's coast is also changing fast. A U.S. Geological Survey assessment found that coastal Louisiana lost about 1,883 square miles of land between 1932 and 2010. Barrier-island erosion, subsidence, storms, sea-level rise, and shifts in sediment delivery all feed that continuing transformation.

Texas, 367 Miles

Texas records 367 miles of general Gulf coastline. Barrier islands, dunes, broad beaches, bays, and shallow lagoons define much of the shore. Padre Island National Seashore holds roughly 70 miles of undeveloped barrier-island coast and about 130,000 acres of land and water. There the National Park Service also protects nesting habitat for the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, and seasonal patrols locate nests, safeguard eggs, and support hatchling releases. Just inland lies Laguna Madre, a hypersaline lagoon whose seagrass beds support fish and bird life. Near Corpus Christi, Mustang Island State Park brings five miles of beach, camping, paddling, and easy Gulf access. Birders can search the nearby flats and channels for oystercatchers, curlews, herons, and other shorebirds. The National Park Service recognizes Padre Island as the world's longest undeveloped barrier island.

North Carolina, 301 Miles

North Carolina reaches 301 miles of general Atlantic coastline, only five miles ahead of Oregon. Its distinctive shape comes largely from the Outer Banks, a chain of long barrier islands set between the Atlantic Ocean and Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. Dunes, inlets, surf beaches, fishing villages, and broad estuarine water fill the narrow chain. Cape Hatteras National Seashore protects about 70 miles across Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke islands.

Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke Village all stand along the route. Farther south, the barrier-island landscape continues through Cape Lookout National Seashore. Ferries carry visitors to undeveloped beaches, Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and Shackleford Banks, where the National Park Service manages a herd of wild horses, an unusual wildlife stop on North Carolina's ocean coast.

Oregon, 296 Miles

Oregon's 296 miles of general coastline sit just behind North Carolina. Highway 101 runs along much of the Pacific edge, keeping beaches, cliffs, headlands, and sea stacks close to the road. Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor takes in 12 rugged miles near Brookings, with offshore rocks, secluded beaches, forested bluffs, and links to the Oregon Coast Trail.

Cape Perpetua rises to one of the state's highest coastal viewpoints, its summit about 800 feet above sea level and the highest point reachable by car on the Oregon Coast, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The surrounding scenic area covers about 2,700 acres.

Nearby trails cross temperate forest and drop toward rocky shore. Low tide exposes pools filled with anemones, mussels, and other intertidal life. Offshore rocks support seabirds, and winter and spring migration periods can bring gray whales past the headland. Much of this scenery sits within a short detour of Highway 101.

Maine, 228 Miles

Maine has 228 miles of general Atlantic coastline under NOAA's broad measurement. Detailed shoreline methods yield a far larger figure, because bays, peninsulas, islands, and tidal inlets divide the coast into countless smaller edges. Acadia National Park protects nearly 64 miles of coast across Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Haut, and smaller islands. Ocean Path runs about 2.2 miles beside granite shore between Sand Beach and Otter Point, passing Thunder Hole along the way. Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia's only mainland section, has exposed granite headlands facing the open Atlantic and generally sees less traffic than the main park roads on Mount Desert Island. Maine's deeply divided geography is what opens such a wide gap between the 228-mile general figure and its much larger detailed shoreline measurement.

Massachusetts, 192 Miles

Massachusetts takes tenth place with 192 miles of general Atlantic coastline, only five miles ahead of South Carolina. Much of the state's familiar hooked outline comes from Cape Cod. Cape Cod National Seashore protects 40 miles of beach plus dunes, marshes, ponds, and upland habitat, and six National Park Service beaches line the outer Cape.

Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, Head of the Meadow, Race Point, and Herring Cove sit along different sections of the peninsula. Race Point and Herring Cove lie close together near Provincetown, at the curved tip of Cape Cod. Beyond the Cape, Cape Ann, Boston Harbor, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket bring rocky shore, harbor islands, broad beaches, dunes, and offshore island coast into the state total. South Carolina misses the top ten by only five miles in the same NOAA dataset.

How The Ranking Holds Together

One measurement choice shapes this entire list. NOAA's general coastline traces the broad seaward edge, so it rewards long open frontage over intricate detail, which is why Pacific states with few interrupting bays rank near the top while states carved by estuaries fall lower than their detailed shoreline would suggest. Run the same states through NOAA's tidal shoreline instead, and the order reshuffles: Louisiana and Maine climb sharply as every bayou and inlet gets counted, and Alaska's lead grows even more lopsided. The general figure keeps the comparison consistent, and by that standard these ten states hold the longest ocean coasts in the country. Alaska's combined Arctic and Pacific frontage sets the ceiling, and a five-mile gap decides the final spot.