Groundhogs (also called woodchucks) live in North America, mostly in open areas like fields and the edges of forests, where they dig underground burrows to live in.

Where in North America?

Groundhogs are found across a big chunk of North America, from:

  • Most of the eastern and central United States, reaching south to Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
  • Almost all of Canada, from the Atlantic provinces straight across to eastern Alaska.
  • They’re especially common in rural and suburban areas with fields, farms, and wood edges.

They’re not found in the far western U.S. mountains, deserts, or the southern Deep South, and they’re absent from Mexico, Central America, and anywhere outside North America.

Favorite Habitat & Terrain

Groundhogs prefer lowland, easy-to-dig spots near food and cover:

  • Open fields, meadows, pastures, and crop fields where they can graze on grasses, clover, dandelions, and garden veggies.
  • Edges of forests, small woodlots, and wooded slopes where trees provide some shelter but open space is right there.
  • Roadsides, stream banks, fencerows, and hedgerows that give them routes and places to dig.

They avoid very dense forests and very rocky or swampy ground, since they need soft, well‑drained soil for digging their burrows.

Their Underground Home

Groundhogs are expert diggers and live in complex underground burrow systems:

  • They dig deep dens (often 2–6 feet underground) with multiple entrances and tunnels.
  • A typical groundhog has at least two main dens: a summer den and a winter hibernation den, often in a different spot.
  • The burrow includes a sleeping chamber, a nesting area, and sometimes separate latrine areas.

During winter, they spend months hibernating deep in their winter den, curled up to survive the cold.

Types of Homes (Natural & Human-Made)

You’ll often find groundhog burrows in:

  • Pastures and agricultural fields where there’s plenty of grass and crops.
  • Suburban backyards, gardens, and lawns near woods or fields.
  • Under sheds, decks, porches, and outbuildings, where the structure gives extra cover.

These burrows can be pretty big — sometimes up to 40–50 feet long with several entrances — and they may later be used by other animals like foxes, skunks, or rabbits after the groundhog leaves.

What They Need to Survive

Groundhogs need a mix of things to live comfortably:

  • Open feeding areas – Grass, weeds, garden plants, and crops near their den.
  • Good soil to dig – Soft, well‑drained soil so they can dig long, dry tunnels.
  • Some cover – A nearby wood edge, rockpile, or hedgerow for protection from predators like coyotes, hawks, and dogs.
  • Sunlight – They like sunny, open areas where they can warm up and keep an eye out for danger.

Because farms, lawns, and suburban edges mimic their ideal habitat, groundhogs often do really well in human‑changed landscapes.

In short: Groundhogs live across most of Canada and the eastern/central U.S., usually in fields, meadows, and forest edges, where they dig deep burrows to live and hibernate in the soil.