List of landlocked U.S. states
A landlocked state in the United States is any state whose territorial boundaries do not touch an ocean. All landlocked states are located among the contiguous 48 states on the North American mainland.
If one must travel through only one other U.S. state or a single Canadian province to reach an ocean, the state is referred to as "singly landlocked". If one must travel through two U.S. states, or one U.S. state and one Canadian province, the state is referred to as "doubly landlocked". If one must travel through three U.S. states, or two U.S. states and one Canadian province to reach an ocean, the state is "triply landlocked".
Hawaii is completely insular, and 23 states are coastal. Of the remaining 27 states and the District of Columbia, 16 states and the federal capital are singly landlocked, 10 are doubly landlocked; and just one, Nebraska, is triply landlocked.
Singly landlocked
The 16 singly landlocked states, and the District of Columbia, with routes to their nearest ocean:
- 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
- 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:
- Colorado - New Mexico or Oklahoma, then Texas to the Gulf of Mexico
- 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, Mississippi, or Texas to the Gulf of Mexico; or, Oklahoma then Texas to the Gulf of Mexico; or, Tennessee then Alabama or Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico; or, Tennessee then Virginia, North Carolina, or Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean; 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 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. To reach an ocean from Nebraska, one must travel either south through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to the Gulf of Mexico; or north through South Dakota, North Dakota and Manitoba to Hudson Bay.
Lake borders
Eight states border the Great Lakes, but New York is the only one that borders both the Great Lakes and an ocean. Four of the other seven are singly landlocked; Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are doubly landlocked. Michigan and Ohio both have water boundaries with Ontario, which bounds the Arctic Ocean. Wisconsin's territorial waters in Lake Superior, however, do not touch those of Ontario, but they form the southerly point of a three-way water boundary with Michigan and Minnesota.
- Illinois - bounds Lake Michigan
- Indiana - bounds Lake Michigan
- Michigan - bounds Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie
- Minnesota - bounds Lake Superior
- New York - bounds Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean
- Ohio - bounds Lake Erie
- Pennsylvania - bounds Lake Erie
- Wisconsin - bounds Lake Michigan and Lake Superior