Does Maine Really Have a Longer Coastline Than California?

Someone recently told me that Maine has a longer coastline than California. My first thought was, "Absolute blasphemy." Our little northeastern part of the United States? How is that even possible?

When I think of California, I think of looking at it on a map and how expansive it is in comparison to Maine.

Then, I thought of Santa Monica, San Fransisco, Malibu, Laguna Beach, and so on and so forth. There's just no way. I had to dig in and do my own research.

Not only does Maine have more coastline than California, it trumps by 2,630 miles. According to maine.gov, Maine has 3,500 miles of coastline, while California has only 840 miles.

According to World Atlas, the coastline paradox is a complicated one, and the sizes are in fact estimations.

That being said, Maine having 2,660 estimated miles more is still substantial and surprising. After researching some more, National Geographic states that large number is inflated due to such things as Maine's many inlets and offshore islands, which make sense.

Mount Desert Island alone covers about 108 miles.Which state has the longest coastline in the US?

According to World Atlas, Alaska takes the cake with an astronomical 54,000 km (33,000 miles) of coastline, which is more than all of the other states combined.

Florida ranks at #2, with Louisiana at #3, and our beautiful state of Maine at #4.