The U.S. state that is farthest from any ocean is South Dakota , specifically the area in southwest South Dakota near the towns of Allen and Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Quick Scoop

  • The farthest spot from any ocean in all of North America is in South Dakota.
  • This location is often called the continental pole of inaccessibility (or continental point of inaccessibility).
  • It lies in rural southwest South Dakota, between Allen and Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
  • The nearest coastline (the Pacific Ocean) is roughly 1,020–1,025 miles away, depending on the source.

Why South Dakota Wins

If you look at a map, South Dakota sits deep in the interior of the continent, with other landlocked states on nearly all sides. That central position, plus the shape of the coasts, means there is a point there that ends up farther from salt water than anywhere else in North America.

Researchers and mapmakers use distance-to-coast calculations to find that point, scanning every location and measuring the shortest route to the sea. When they do, the “winner” consistently comes up in South Dakota near Allen and Kyle.

Extra Fun Fact

  • The village of Allen, South Dakota , is often cited as the inhabited place farthest from the sea in North America, at about 1,012 miles from the coast.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “which state is farthest from the ocean,” the best-supported answer is South Dakota , thanks to its interior point over 1,000 miles from any coastline.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.