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.”
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]
38. Charlotte/Mecklenburg, NC
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.1 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 1,115,617
37. Kansas City, MO
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 509,608
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]
35. Colorado Springs, CO
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 485,817
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]
33. Atlanta, GA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 503,991
24/7 Wall St.
32. San Jose, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.2 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 1,013,400
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]
30. St. Paul, MN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.3 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 304,197
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]
28. Anchorage, AK
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.3 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 301,209
24/7 Wall St.
27. Madison, WI
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 264,742
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]
25. Jersey City, NJ
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 281,829
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]
23. Buffalo, NY
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 260,357
22. Boise, ID
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.4 mile
> Total number of beaches: 1
> Total population: 239,077
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]
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]
18. Milwaukee, WI
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.5 mile
> Total number of beaches: 3
> Total population: 588,573
24/7 Wall St.
17. Nashville/Davidson, TN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.7 mile
> Total number of beaches: 5
> Total population: 696,653
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]
15. Portland, OR
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.8 mile
> Total number of beaches: 5
> Total population: 656,300
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]
13. Fremont, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 0.9 mile
> Total number of beaches: 2
> Total population: 231,567
24/7 Wall St.
12. Tampa, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.0 mile
> Total number of beaches: 4
> Total population: 390,996
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]
10. Jacksonville, FL
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.2 miles
> Total number of beaches: 11
> Total population: 937,821
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]
8. Long Beach, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.3 miles
> Total number of beaches: 6
> Total population: 473,567
7. Boston, MA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.6 miles
> Total number of beaches: 11
> Total population: 699,253
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]
5. San Diego, CA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 1.9 miles
> Total number of beaches: 26
> Total population: 1,394,515
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]
3. Minneapolis, MN
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 2.8 miles
> Total number of beaches: 12
> Total population: 424,175
2. Corpus Christi, TX
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 4.5 miles
> Total number of beaches: 15
> Total population: 329,746
1. Virginia Beach, VA
> Miles of beach per 100,000 residents: 9.9 miles
> Total number of beaches: 45
> Total population: 453,291
Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)
Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.
However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.
There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
