East Coast of the United States

"Atlantic Seaboard" redirects here. For other seaboards, seeAtlantic Coast.

East Coast of the United States
Coastline
The East Coast of theUnited States.States with a coastline on theAtlantic Oceanare highlighted in dark blue. States considered part of the East Coast without a coastline are highlighted in light blue.
Country	United States
Principal cities	Portland (Maine) Boston Providence Hartford New York City Newark Philadelphia Baltimore Washington, D.C. Richmond Virginia Beach Raleigh Charlotte Charleston Atlanta Jacksonville Orlando Tampa Miami
Largest city	New York City
Largest metropolitan area	New York metropolitan area
Population (2017 estimate)
• Total	118,042,627
Time zone	UTC−05:00(Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00(EDT)

TheEast Coast of the United States,also known as theEastern Seaboard,theAtlantic Coast,and theAtlantic Seaboard,is the region encompassing thecoastlinewhere theEastern United Statesmeets theAtlantic Ocean.TheThirteen Colonies,which formed the United States in 1776 were located on this coast, and it has played an important role in the development of the United States.

The region is generally understood to include theU.S. statesthat border the Atlantic Ocean:Connecticut,Delaware,Florida,Georgia,Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,New Hampshire,New Jersey,New York,North Carolina,Rhode Island,South Carolina,andVirginia,as well as the federal capital ofWashington, D.C.,and non-coastline states:Pennsylvania,Vermont,andWest Virginia.

Toponymy and composition

Theplace nameEast Coast derives from the idea that the contiguous 48 states are defined by two major coastlines, one at thewestern edgeand one on the eastern edge. Other terms for referring to this area include the EasternSeaboard,which is another term for coastline,Atlantic Coast, and Atlantic Seaboard because the coastline lies along theAtlantic Ocean.

The 14 states that have a shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean are (from north to south):Maine,New Hampshire,Massachusetts,Rhode Island,Connecticut,New York,New Jersey,Delaware,Maryland,Virginia,North Carolina,South Carolina,Georgia,andFlorida.PennsylvaniaandWashington, D.C.border theDelaware Riverand thePotomac River,respectively, both of which aretidal armsof the Atlantic Ocean.

Colonial history

Further information:Colonial history of the United States

The originalThirteen ColoniesofGreat BritaininNorth Americaall lay along the East Coast.

Two additional U.S. states on the East Coast were not among the original Thirteen Colonies:Mainebecame part of the EnglishColony of Massachusettsin 1677andFloridawas held by the British from the end of theFrench and Indian Waruntil 1781 and was part ofNew Spainuntil 1821.

In present-day Florida, Spanish explorerJuan Ponce de Leónmade the first textual records of the state during his 1513 voyage. The state was initially named for Ponce de Ponce de León, who called the peninsula La Pascua Florida in recognition of the verdant landscape and because it was theEasterseason.

Delaware Colonyand the provinces ofNew Jersey,New York,andPennsylvaniahad been colonized bythe DutchasNew Netherlanduntil they were ceded to theBritishin the mid- to late-17th century.Until 1791,Vermontwas an independent nation as theVermont Republic.

Geography and climate

Climate map of the contiguousUnited States,according to theTrewartha climate classification

Aerial view of theVirginia Beachentrance to theChesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel

South Mountainin easternPennsylvaniawithAllentownin the foreground in December 2010

TheFulton Chain of LakesinAdirondack ParkinUpstate New Yorkin August 2007

Three basic climate regions occur on the East Coast according to theKöppen climate classificationand four occur according to theTrewartha climate classificationfrom north to south based on the monthly mean temperature of the coldest month (January) and the number of months averaging above 50 °F (10 °C), respectively.

The region from northern Maine andUpstate New Yorksouth to most of Connecticut, most ofnorthern New Jersey(except for areas close enough toNew York City), most of Pennsylvania, andwestern Marylandhas ahumid continental climate(Dfa/Dfb/Dc), with warm-to-hot summers, cold and snowy winters with at least one month averaging below freezing, and four to seven months with mean temperatures warmer than 50 °F.

The area fromMartha's Vineyardandextreme SW Rhode Islandtosouthern Delawareandwestern North Carolinahas a warmtemperate climate(CfaKöppen/DoTrewartha) with long and hot summers with at least one month over 22°C (71.6°F), cool winters with all months over freezing, and six to seven months above 50°F. Although winter precipitation is more likely to fall as rain than as snow, occasional heavy snow is possible.

The area from the southernDelmarva Peninsula,southeast Virginia, andcentral North Carolinasouth to central Florida is humidsubtropical(Cfa/Cf), with hot and rainy summers, mild and drier winters, and eight to twelve months above 50°F.Urban heat islandexclaves of this zone are found north of this area inBaltimoreandWashington, D.C.

The region of Florida from the south-central region of the state south to theFlorida Keyshas atropical climate(Af/Aw/Ar) that is frost-free, warm to hot all year, and all of the 12 months of the year average above 18 °C (64.4 °F). This region of Florida is the only tropical climate in the continental U.S.

The least common climate on the East Coast is theoceanic(Cfb/Do), which is only found onBlock Island,Nantucket,and areas ofCape Cod,and in areas of the southernAppalachian Mountains.This zone has all monthly averages between 0 and 22 °C and six to seven months above 50 °F. Although winter precipitation is more likely to fall as rain than as snow, occasional heavy snow is possible.

Seasonally, average monthly precipitation ranges from a slight late fall (November) maximum fromMassachusettsnorth toPortland, Maineto a slight summer maximum in theMid-Atlantic statesfrom southern Connecticut south toVirginiaatWilmington, DelawareandNorfolk, Virginia,to a more pronounced summer maximum fromCape HatterasinNorth Carolina,southward along theSoutheastern United Statescoast toSavannah, Georgia.The Florida peninsula has a sharp wet-summer/dry-winter pattern, with 60 to 70% of precipitation falling between June and October in an average year and a dry, and sunny late fall, winter, and early spring.

Although landfalls are rare, the Eastern Seaboard is susceptible tohurricanesin the Atlantic hurricane season, officially running from June 1 to November 30, although hurricanes can occur before or after these dates.HurricanesHazel,Hugo,Bob,Isabel,Irene,andSandy,and most recentlyFlorence,Isaias,Henri,andIdaare some of the more significant storms to have affected the region.

The East Coast, with the exception of eastern Maine, is a low-relief,passive margincoast.It has been shaped by thePleistocene glaciationin the far northern areas in New England, with offshore islands such asNantucket,Martha's Vineyard,Block Island,andFishers Island.Fromnorthern New Jerseysouthward, the coastal plain broadens southwards, separated from thePiedmontregion by theAtlantic Seaboard fall lineof the East Coast rivers, often marking the head of navigation and prominent sites of cities.

The coastal areas fromLong Islandsouth to Florida are often made up ofbarrier islandsthat front the coastal areas, with the long stretches of sandy beaches. Many of the larger capes along the lower East Coast are in fact barrier islands, like theOuter Banksof North Carolina andCape Canaveral,Florida. The Florida Keys are made up of limestone coral and provide the onlycoral reefson the U.S. mainland.

Demographics

In 2010, the population of the states that have shoreline on the East Coast was estimated at 112,642,503 (about 36% of the country's total population).New York Cityis both the largest city and the largest metropolitan area on the East Coast. The East Coast is the most populated coastal area in the United States.

Major East Coast cities and metropolitan areas

City	City Population (2018 est.)	Metro Population (2018 est.)	State
Alexandria	159,428	6,216,589	Virginia
Allentown	125,845	861,889	Pennsylvania
Atlanta	498,044	5,949,951	Georgia
Augusta	196,939	600,151	Georgia
Baltimore	602,495	2,802,789	Maryland
Boston	694,583	4,628,910	Massachusetts
Bridgeport	144,900	939,904	Connecticut
Charleston	136,208	802,122	South Carolina
Charlotte	872,498	2,636,883	North Carolina
Chesapeake	244,835	1,672,319	Virginia
Columbia, MD	103,467	6,216,589	Maryland
Columbia, SC	133,451	838,433	South Carolina
Coral Springs	133,507	5,762,717	Florida
Durham	264,310	2,106,463	North Carolina
Edison	100,693	19,979,477	New Jersey
Elizabeth	128,885	19,979,477	New Jersey
Fayetteville	211,657	526,719	North Carolina
Fort Lauderdale	182,595	5,762,717	Florida
Germantown	90,494	6,216,589	Maryland
Greenville	70,635	920,477	South Carolina
Hampton	134,510	1,672,319	Virginia
Hartford	122,105	1,211,324	Connecticut
Hialeah	238,942	5,828,191	Florida
Hollywood	154,823	5,762,717	Florida
Jacksonville	903,889	1,523,615	Florida
Jersey City	265,549	19,979,477	New Jersey
Miami	470,914	6,158,824	Florida
Miami Gardens	113,069	5,762,717	Florida
Miramar	140,823	5,762,717	Florida
New Haven	130,418	862,477	Connecticut
New York City	8,398,748	19,979,477	New York
Newark	282,090	19,979,477	New Jersey
Newport News	179,225	1,672,319	Virginia
Norfolk	244,076	1,672,319	Virginia
Orlando	285,713	2,387,138	Florida
Palm Bay	114,194	543,376	Florida
Paterson	145,627	19,979,477	New Jersey
Pembroke Pines	172,374	5,762,717	Florida
Philadelphia	1,584,138	6,096,120	Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh	302,971	2,370,930	Pennsylvania
Pompano Beach	111,954	5,762,717	Florida
Portland	66,417	538,500	Maine
Portsmouth	94,632	1,672,319	Virginia
Raleigh	469,298	1,337,331	North Carolina
Port St. Lucie	195,248	438,095	Florida
Providence	179,335	1,604,291	Rhode Island
Richmond	228,783	1,260,029	Virginia
Savannah	145,862	389,494	Georgia
Springfield	153,606	631,982	Massachusetts
Stamford	129,775	916,829	Connecticut
Virginia Beach	450,138	1,725,246	Virginia
Washington, D.C.	705,749	6,216,589	District of Columbia
West Palm Beach	111,398	5,762,717	Florida
Wilmington, DE	70,635	6,069,875	Delaware
Wilmington, NC	122,607	282,573	North Carolina
Woodbridge	100,450	19,979,477	New Jersey

Transportation

Philadelphia International AirportinPhiladelphiain June 2007

The primaryInterstate Highwayalong the East Coast isInterstate 95,completed in 2018,which replaced the historicU.S. Route 1(Atlantic Highway), the original federal highway that traversed all East Coast states, exceptDelaware.

By water, the East Coast is connected fromBoston, MassachusettstoMiami, Florida,by theIntracoastal Waterway,also known as the East Coast Canal, which was completed in 1912.Amtrak'sDowneasterandNortheast Regionaloffer the mainpassenger railservice on the Seaboard. TheAcela Expressoffers the onlyhigh-speed railpassenger service in the Americas. Between New York and Boston theAcela Expresshas up to a 54% share of the combined train and air passenger market.

Some of the largest airports in the United States are located along the East Coast of the United States, such asJohn F. Kennedy International AirportinQueens,New York City,Logan International AirportinBoston,Newark Liberty AirportinNewark, New Jersey,Philadelphia International AirportinPhiladelphia,Baltimore–Washington International AirportnearBaltimore,Dulles International AirportnearWashington, D.C.,Hartsfield–Jackson International AirportinAtlanta,Miami International Airportin Miami,Charlotte Douglas International AirportinCharlotte, North Carolina,Tampa International AirportinTampa,andOrlando International AirportinOrlando, Florida.

Culture

Panoramic view ofBiscayne BayfromPortMiamiwithDowntown Miami(on left) andMiami Beach(in background on right)

The fast-paced streets ofNew York City,the largest city in the United States, in January 2020

As the first spot in the United States that immigrants arrived and the close proximity ofEurope,theCaribbean,andLatin America,the East Coast is home to a diverse population and home to multi-cultures when compared to the rest of the U.S. From the strongLatinculture insouthern Florida,to the 200-year-oldGullahculture of the low country coastal islands ofGeorgiaandSouth Carolina,to the many historic cities in theMid-Atlantic,where a strong English, German, Italian, Irish, and French culture are present, the East Coast is significantly more diverse than the rest of the United States. NumerousChinatownsinNew York City,andLittle HavanainMiami,are examples of such cultural centers in the bigger cities.

The East Coast is home to much of the political and financial power and a center for resort and travel destinations in the United States.New York Cityis the most populous city in the country and a major world financial center. Seventy-one of the world's Fortune 500 companies have their corporate headquarters in New York City, whileMidtown Manhattan,with 400 million square feet of office space in 2018, is the largestcentral business districtin the world.Washington, D.C.is the federal capital and political nerve center of the United States. Many organizations such as defense contractors, civilian contractors, nonprofit organizations, lobbying firms, trade unions, industry trade groups and professional associations have their headquarters in or near Washington, D.C., in order to be close to thefederal government.

Miamiis one of the top domestic and international travel destinations in the United States. Miami is the warmest major city in the continental United States in winter, which contributes to it being a major tourism hub for international visitors. Miami has one of the largest concentrations of international banks in the United States, and the third-largest skyline in the U.S. with over 439 high-rises, 68 of which exceed 490 ft (149 m).Port of Miamiis the busiest cruise port in the world in both passenger traffic and cruise lines, with over 5.5 million cruise passengers passing through the port each year. The center for tropical plant culture and research in the United States is based in Miami atFairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.The state of Florida is the second-largest producer oforangesin the world behindBrazil.

See also

• Atlantic coastal plain
• Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line
• BosWash(Bostonin the north toWashington, D.C.in the south)
• East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry
• Gulf Coast of the United States
• Northeast megalopolis
• West Coast of the United States