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.
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 :
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 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
is the only triply landlocked state. 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.
