Attractions

Beaches by State 2026

State
  • Data on the total number of beaches in each state come from the Environmental Protection Agency’s BEACH Act list of beaches as of April 2024. The EPA list includes coastal and Great Lakes beaches only. Other sources may tabulate differently or use a different definition of what constitutes a beach. For example, the 2024 BEACH Act count includes 252 beaches in California, while the state of California’s own website claims 420 in total.
  • EPA data is provided to the EPA by individual states. As such, polling inconsistencies between one state and another are possible.
  • Data on each state’s best beach name and location are compiled from reputable sources, but should nonetheless be regarded as educated opinions rather than data-backed scientific fact.