The Great Lakes
AMERICA'SINLAND SEAS
Five lakes. 21% of all Earth's surface fresh water. 10,900 miles of coastline — more than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined. The largest freshwater system in the world, in the heart of America.
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People in the Region
Lake Superior alone contains more fresh water than all the other Great Lakes combined.
Great Lakes Volume
Superior alone exceeds the other four combined
Source: NOAA / Great Lakes Commission
Each Lake in Detail
Lake Superior
Largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world. So large it creates its own weather systems. Nearly the size of South Carolina.
31,700 mi²
2,900 mi³
1,332 ft
Lake Michigan
The only Great Lake entirely within the United States. Home to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. Contains the famous Sleeping Bear Dunes.
22,400 mi²
1,180 mi³
925 ft
Lake Huron
Contains Manitoulin Island — the largest freshwater island in the world. Georgian Bay is sometimes called the 6th Great Lake.
23,000 mi²
850 mi³
750 ft
Lake Erie
Shallowest and most ecologically productive. Niagara Falls flows from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, dropping 167 feet.
9,910 mi²
116 mi³
210 ft
Lake Ontario
Smallest by surface area but deepest in average depth. Drains via the St. Lawrence River 2,340 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.
7,340 mi²
393 mi³
802 ft
America's Most Valuable Natural Asset
In a world where fresh water is increasingly scarce, the Great Lakes represent an unparalleled strategic advantage — 6 quadrillion gallons supplying 30 million Americans and sustaining a $6 trillion regional economy.
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In Detail
The Great Lakes hold 21% of all surface freshwater on Earth
Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario collectively contain 6 quadrillion gallons of fresh water — enough to flood the entire lower 48 states to a depth of nearly 10 feet.
The Great Lakes coastline (10,900 miles) exceeds the US Atlantic & Gulf Coasts combined
Including all islands, bays, and inlets, the Great Lakes have more coastline than the entire American Eastern Seaboard plus Gulf Coast — a staggering geographic fact virtually unknown outside the region.
The Great Lakes region produces $6 trillion in annual economic output
The eight Great Lakes states plus two Canadian provinces form one of the most productive economic regions in the world — home to 107 million people.
Over 200 million tons of cargo move through Great Lakes ports each year
Iron ore, grain, coal, limestone, and petroleum products flow through a network of ports that has powered American industry for 150 years. The St. Lawrence Seaway connects these inland seas directly to the Atlantic Ocean.
Lake Superior is so large it generates its own weather systems
Lake Superior's 31,700 mi² is large enough to influence regional weather. It moderates shore temperatures, creates lake-effect snowstorms, and generates waves up to 25 feet during storm season.
The St. Lawrence Seaway allows ocean ships to sail 2,340 miles inland
Built jointly by the US and Canada in 1959, the Seaway opened the American heartland to global trade. Ocean vessels can sail from the Atlantic directly to Duluth, Minnesota.
The Great Lakes provide drinking water for 30 million Americans
Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Milwaukee all draw municipal water from the Great Lakes system — the largest surface freshwater reservoir available to any major urban population.
Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is the world's largest freshwater island
At 1,068 mi², Manitoulin Island is larger than many US counties. It contains numerous lakes itself — including the world's largest lake on an island in a freshwater lake.
Freshwater Geography: Seeding a Recreational Boating Civilization
Containing over 20% of Earth's surface freshwater, the Great Lakes region is the epicenter of the American recreational boating civilization. Lake Michigan's shoreline alone exceeds the entire US Atlantic coast, and Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin host over 2.5 million registered boats — demonstrating how massive freshwater geography creates democratization of outdoor leisure.
“The Great Lakes are a gift that most Americans take for granted. One-fifth of the world's fresh water, sitting in the heartland of the most powerful nation on Earth.”
— David Dempsey