Which state has the most water?
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Answer
Biscuit's fun facts
Ever heard that a place with little rain and snow can still be wet and boggy? At Gates of the Arctic National Park, the Park Service explains how. Most of the park sits on permafrost — ground that stays frozen all year. In summer only the top of the ground thaws (the active layer). Because the ground beneath stays frozen, water collects on top of flat ground instead of draining away. So there are many boggy areas, wetlands and small lakes, even though the lowlands get less rain and snow than most places in the eastern and midwestern United States.
Who says so: National Park Service (Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve) (opens in a new tab)
Now the coast. When Earth's climate cools, glaciers form and flow downhill, often taking the easy path through old river valleys and grinding them wider, with steeper walls. Some valley glaciers flow through narrow inlets all the way into the ocean. Those inlets are fjords: tall, steep walls like a glacier valley, but with a floor below sea level — so the ocean fills them.
Who says so: National Park Service (opens in a new tab)
Compare
Water area (sq mi, 2024 Gazetteer)
Note: measured in square miles of water inside state borders.
Recap
📋 See the ranking table (top 50)
| Rank | State | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alaska | 94,483 sq mi (water) |
| #2 | Michigan | 40,102 sq mi (water) |
| #3 | Florida | 17,749 sq mi (water) |
| #4 | Wisconsin | 11,329 sq mi (water) |
| #5 | Louisiana | 9,163 sq mi (water) |
| #6 | California | 7,835 sq mi (water) |
| #7 | New York | 7,435 sq mi (water) |
| #8 | Texas | 7,340 sq mi (water) |
| #9 | Minnesota | 7,312 sq mi (water) |
| #10 | North Carolina | 5,194 sq mi (water) |
| #11 | Washington | 4,845 sq mi (water) |
| #12 | Hawaii | 4,547 sq mi (water) |
| #13 | Maine | 4,535 sq mi (water) |
| #14 | Ohio | 3,967 sq mi (water) |
| #15 | Virginia | 3,293 sq mi (water) |
| #16 | Massachusetts | 2,753 sq mi (water) |
| #17 | Maryland | 2,695 sq mi (water) |
| #18 | Illinois | 2,400 sq mi (water) |
| #19 | Oregon | 2,382 sq mi (water) |
| #20 | Utah | 2,302 sq mi (water) |
| #21 | South Carolina | 1,959 sq mi (water) |
| #22 | Alabama | 1,769 sq mi (water) |
| #23 | Georgia | 1,706 sq mi (water) |
| #24 | North Dakota | 1,705 sq mi (water) |
| #25 | Mississippi | 1,511 sq mi (water) |
| #26 | Montana | 1,493 sq mi (water) |
| #27 | New Jersey | 1,364 sq mi (water) |
| #28 | Pennsylvania | 1,312 sq mi (water) |
| #29 | South Dakota | 1,308 sq mi (water) |
| #30 | Oklahoma | 1,302 sq mi (water) |
| #31 | Arkansas | 1,206 sq mi (water) |
| #32 | Missouri | 960 sq mi (water) |
| #33 | Idaho | 923 sq mi (water) |
| #34 | Kentucky | 921 sq mi (water) |
| #35 | Tennessee | 906 sq mi (water) |
| #36 | Wyoming | 721 sq mi (water) |
| #37 | Nevada | 710 sq mi (water) |
| #38 | Connecticut | 701 sq mi (water) |
| #39 | Indiana | 596 sq mi (water) |
| #40 | Delaware | 540 sq mi (water) |
| #41 | Nebraska | 532 sq mi (water) |
| #42 | Kansas | 520 sq mi (water) |
| #43 | Rhode Island | 511 sq mi (water) |
| #44 | Colorado | 458 sq mi (water) |
| #45 | Iowa | 419 sq mi (water) |
| #46 | Vermont | 398 sq mi (water) |
| #47 | New Hampshire | 396 sq mi (water) |
| #48 | Arizona | 330 sq mi (water) |
| #49 | New Mexico | 281 sq mi (water) |
| #50 | West Virginia | 189 sq mi (water) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer)