Special Report

Cities With the Most Miles of Beach per Person

photosvit / Getty Images

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that America has a total shoreline of more than 95,000 miles, a distance almost four times the earth’s circumference. That means a lot of beaches. Of course access to beaches varies enormously from state to state and city to city, with some inland states losing out almost entirely. 

Which municipalities have the longest stretches of beachfront (whether on ocean, lake, or river) for locals and their visitors to enjoy? To determine that, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data in 2021 City Park Facts, published by the Trust for Public Land, which reports miles of beach per 100,000 residents.

Click here to see the cities with the most miles of beach per person

Given its name, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that No. 1 on the list is Virginia Beach, Virginia. Maybe it should even be called Virginia Beaches, since it has 45 of them, translating into 9.9 miles of beach per 100,000 residents. It’s followed by Corpus Christi, Texas, with 15 beaches and less than half the per capita beachfront, at 4.5 miles per 100,000 residents. (This is the best place in America to own a beach house.)

Minneapolis comes in at third place, with 12 beaches and 2.8 miles of beach per 100,000 residents, which may come as a surprise since it’s an inland state. However, remember that the state is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”  

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

39. Houston, TX
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.1 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 2,419,240

[in-text-ad]

garytog / iStock via Getty Images

38. Charlotte/Mecklenburg, NC
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.1 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 1,115,617

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

37. Kansas City, MO
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 509,608

pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images

36. Detroit, MI
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 660,628

[in-text-ad-2]

Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images

35. Colorado Springs, CO
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 485,817

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images

34. Baltimore, MD
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 609,422

[in-text-ad]

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images

33. Atlanta, GA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 503,991

DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images

32. San Jose, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 1,013,400

GCShutter / E+ via Getty Images

31. New York, NY
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 19
> Total population: 8,502,614

[in-text-ad-2]

Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images

30. St. Paul, MN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.3 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 304,197

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

29. Cleveland, OH
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.3 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 376,362

[in-text-ad]

yenwen / E+ via Getty Images

28. Anchorage, AK
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.3 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 301,209

marchello74 / iStock via Getty Images

27. Madison, WI
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 264,742

DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images

26. Laredo, TX
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 269,616

[in-text-ad-2]

ChrisBoswell / iStock via Getty Images

25. Jersey City, NJ
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 281,829

dangarneau / iStock via Getty Images

24. Des Moines, IA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 228,877

[in-text-ad]

Hsa_Htaw / iStock via Getty Images

23. Buffalo, NY
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 260,357

vkbhat / E+ via Getty Images

22. Boise, ID
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 239,077

Rocky89 / E+ via Getty Images

21. Miami, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 461,859

[in-text-ad-2]

DutcherAerials / E+ via Getty Images

20. Los Angeles, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 16
> Total population: 3,967,152

19. Aurora, CO
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.5 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 375,803

[in-text-ad]

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

18. Milwaukee, WI
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.5 mile
> Total number of beaches: 3
> Total population: 588,573

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images

17. Nashville/Davidson, TN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.7 mile
> Total number of beaches: 5
> Total population: 696,653

Brandon Williams / iStock via Getty Images

16. Sacramento, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.8 mile
> Total number of beaches: 4
> Total population: 508,357

[in-text-ad-2]

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

15. Portland, OR
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.8 mile
> Total number of beaches: 5
> Total population: 656,300

bluejayphoto / iStock via Getty Images

14. San Francisco, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.8 mile
> Total number of beaches: 7
> Total population: 881,791

[in-text-ad]

Sundry Photography / iStock via Getty Images

13. Fremont, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.9 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 231,567

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

12. Tampa, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.0 mile
> Total number of beaches: 4
> Total population: 390,996

roman_slavik / iStock via Getty Images

11. Seattle, WA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.2 miles
> Total number of beaches: 9
> Total population: 740,227

[in-text-ad-2]

TraceRouda / iStock via Getty Images

10. Jacksonville, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.2 miles
> Total number of beaches: 11
> Total population: 937,821

JaySi / iStock via Getty Images

9. Chicago, IL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.2 miles
> Total number of beaches: 32
> Total population: 2,740,225

[in-text-ad]

KKStock / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

8. Long Beach, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.3 miles
> Total number of beaches: 6
> Total population: 473,567

Planet Unicorn / iStock via Getty Images

7. Boston, MA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.6 miles
> Total number of beaches: 11
> Total population: 699,253

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

6. St. Petersburg, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.9 miles
> Total number of beaches: 5
> Total population: 265,119

[in-text-ad-2]

Ron and Patty Thomas / E+ via Getty Images

5. San Diego, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.9 miles
> Total number of beaches: 26
> Total population: 1,394,515

bfg1118 / iStock via Getty Images

4. Norfolk, VA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 2.8 miles
> Total number of beaches: 7
> Total population: 248,416

[in-text-ad]

Davel5957 / E+ via Getty Images

3. Minneapolis, MN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 2.8 miles
> Total number of beaches: 12
> Total population: 424,175

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

2. Corpus Christi, TX
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 4.5 miles
> Total number of beaches: 15
> Total population: 329,746

ABEMOS / iStock via Getty Images

1. Virginia Beach, VA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 9.9 miles
> Total number of beaches: 45
> Total population: 453,291

 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.