Which 8 states touch the Great Lakes?

Eight US states border the Great Lakes: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Together they share 4,530 miles of Great Lakes coastline, more than the US Pacific coast. Michigan alone accounts for 3,288 of those miles. The lakes hold about 21 percent of the world's surface fresh water and 84 percent of the surface fresh water in North America, roughly 6 quadrillion gallons.

The 8 Great Lakes states, ranked by shoreline

Miles below are the sum of shoreline on all Great Lakes the state touches, using standard NOAA and state-agency figures. Michigan's total is the largest by a wide margin because it borders four of the five lakes and includes two peninsulas.

Rank	State	Lakes touched	Coastline (mi)
1	Michigan	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie	~3,288
2	Wisconsin	Superior, Michigan	~820
3	Minnesota	Superior	~189
4	New York	Erie, Ontario	~577
5	Ohio	Erie	~312
6	Pennsylvania	Erie	~51
7	Illinois	Michigan	~63
8	Indiana	Michigan	~45

The 5 Great Lakes, from west to east

The Great Lakes are commonly listed by the mnemonic HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Water flows from Superior into Huron, from Michigan into Huron, from Huron into Erie via the St. Clair-Detroit river system, from Erie into Ontario over Niagara Falls, and from Ontario into the Atlantic through the St. Lawrence River.

• Lake Superior: 31,700 sq mi. Largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Deepest at 1,332 ft. Borders Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan (Upper Peninsula), and Ontario.
• Lake Michigan: 22,404 sq mi. Only Great Lake entirely inside the US. Borders Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
• Lake Huron: 23,007 sq mi. Contains Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world (1,068 sq mi). Borders Michigan and Ontario.
• Lake Erie: 9,910 sq mi. Shallowest at 62 ft average depth, which makes it the warmest and most productive for fisheries. Borders Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario.
• Lake Ontario: 7,340 sq mi. Smallest by area but deeper than Erie at 802 ft. Borders New York and Ontario.

Michigan: the only state on 4 Great Lakes

Michigan is the only US state that touches four of the five Great Lakes. Its Lower Peninsula sits between Lake Michigan on the west and Lake Huron on the east, tipping into Lake Erie at its southeast corner near Detroit. Its Upper Peninsula fronts Lake Superior on the north and Lake Michigan on the south. Nowhere in Michigan is more than about 85 miles from a Great Lake.

The state has 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, plus another 1,056 miles counting its offshore islands. That puts Michigan second among all US states in total coastline of any kind, behind only Alaska.

New York and Pennsylvania: the eastern Great Lakes states

New York fronts both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with Niagara Falls sitting on the border with Ontario. Buffalo is the largest US city on Lake Erie's shore. Rochester and the Thousand Islands sit on Lake Ontario. New York's Great Lakes shoreline totals roughly 577 miles combined.

Pennsylvania has the shortest Great Lakes shoreline of the eight states, only about 51 miles, all on Lake Erie. Erie, Pennsylvania is the state's only lakefront city. The land grant for that stretch was the Erie Triangle, purchased from the federal government in 1792 to give Pennsylvania Great Lakes access.

Illinois and Indiana: the shortest coasts

Illinois touches only Lake Michigan, along the Chicago shoreline, for roughly 63 miles. Chicago's population of 2.66 million (2024) makes it the largest city on any Great Lake. The Chicago River was famously reversed in 1900 to flow away from the lake to protect the city's drinking water. Indiana has roughly 45 miles of Lake Michigan shore, home to Gary, Hammond, and Indiana Dunes National Park (established as a national park in 2019).

Minnesota and Wisconsin: the northern Superior states

Minnesota's Great Lakes coast is entirely on Lake Superior, about 189 miles from Duluth to the Canadian border at Grand Portage. Duluth is one of the busiest freshwater ports in the world by tonnage, shipping iron ore from the Mesabi Range. Wisconsin fronts both Lake Superior in the north and Lake Michigan on its eastern shore, totaling roughly 820 miles. Milwaukee is Wisconsin's largest lakefront city with about 561,000 residents.

Ohio: the workhorse Lake Erie coast

Ohio's Great Lakes shoreline runs 312 miles along Lake Erie from the Michigan border to Pennsylvania. Cleveland, Toledo, and Sandusky are the largest lakefront cities. Ohio ranks first among Great Lakes states in commercial fishing on Lake Erie by weight, primarily walleye and yellow perch.

Great Lakes numbers at a glance

• Total surface area: 94,250 square miles across all five lakes.
• Total water volume: approximately 5,439 cubic miles, or about 6 quadrillion gallons.
• Share of world surface fresh water: approximately 21 percent.
• US shoreline: 4,530 miles across 8 states.
• Canadian shoreline: the province of Ontario borders four of the five lakes.
• Largest lake city: Chicago (Lake Michigan), 2.66 million residents.
• Deepest point: Lake Superior, 1,332 feet.

Frequently asked questions

How many US states touch the Great Lakes?

Eight: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Which state has the most Great Lakes shoreline?

Michigan, at roughly 3,288 miles. It is the only US state that touches four of the five Great Lakes.

Which Great Lake is entirely in the United States?

Lake Michigan. The other four are shared with the Canadian province of Ontario.

How do I remember the five Great Lakes?

Use HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. Or west-to-east: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario.

What is the largest city on a Great Lake?

Chicago, Illinois, with about 2.66 million residents, sits on Lake Michigan.

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