East Coast of the United States - wikipedia East Coast of the United States East Coast of the United States Coastline Map over the East Coast of the United States Population ( 2010 ) Total 112,642,503 Time zone Eastern Time Zone ( ETZ ) ( UTC − 5 : 00 ) Summer ( DST ) Eastern Daylight Time ( EDT ) ( UTC − 4 : 00 ) The East Coast of the United States is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. This area is also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard. The coastal states that have 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, and Florida. Contents 1 Toponymy and composition 2 Colonial history 3 Climate and physical geography 4 Demographics 5 Transportation 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References Toponymy and composition The place name `` East Coast '' derives from the idea that the contiguous 48 states are defined by two major coastlines, one at the western edge and one on the eastern edge. Other terms for referring to this area include the `` Eastern Seaboard '' ( `` seaboard '' being American English for coast ), `` Atlantic Coast '', and `` Atlantic Seaboard '' ( because the coastline lies along the Atlantic Ocean ). The fourteen states that have a shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean are, from north to south, the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In addition, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia border tidal arms of the Atlantic ( the Delaware River and the Potomac River, respectively ). Although Vermont and West Virginia have no Atlantic coastline, they are sometimes grouped with the Eastern Seaboard states because of their locations in New England and the Old South and their history as part of the land base of the original Thirteen Colonies ( viz. the Colony of New Hampshire, the Colony of New York and the Colony of Virginia ). Colonial history The original thirteen colonies of Great Britain in North America all lay along the East Coast. Two additional U.S. states on the East Coast were not among the original thirteen colonies : Maine ( became part of the English colony of Massachusetts in 1677 ) and Florida ( part of New Spain until 1821, though held by the British for 20 years after the French and Indian War ). The Middle Colonies ( New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware ) had been owned by the Dutch as New Netherland, until they were captured by the English in the mid-to - late 17th century. Climate and physical Geography There are three climate regions on the East Coast from north to south : The region from northern Maine south to about southern Connecticut has a humid continental climate, with warm summers and long, cold and snowy winters. The region from around New York City south through the Jersey Shore, the Chesapeake Bay area, Tidewater Virginia, and the coastal Carolinas southwards to central Florida has a humid subtropical climate, with hot summers and milder winters, with winters noticeably warmer the further south you go. The far southern portion of the East Coast from south - central Florida southward ( Stuart, south through the Florida Keys ) has a tropical climate, which is frost free and is warm to hot all year. Average monthly precipitation ranges from a slight late fall ( November ) maximum from Massachusetts northward ( as at Portland, Maine ), to a slight summer maximum from Long Island south to Virginia ( as at Wilmington, Delaware, and Norfolk, Virginia ), to a more pronounced summer maximum from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, southward to Savannah, Georgia. The Florida peninsula has a sharp wet - summer / dry - winter pattern, with 60 to 70 percent of precipitation falling between June and October in an average year. Although landfalls are rare, the Eastern seaboard is susceptible to hurricanes in the Atlantic hurricane season, officially running from June 1 to November 30, although hurricanes can occur before or after these dates. Hurricanes Hazel, Hugo, Bob, Isabel, Irene, and most recently Sandy are some of the more significant storms to have affected the region. The East Coast is a low - relief, passive margin coast. It has been shaped by the Pleistocene glaciation in the far northern areas from New York City northward, with offshore islands such as Nantucket, Block Island, Fishers Island, the nearly peninsular Long Island and New York City 's Staten Island the result of terminal moraines, with Massachusetts ' unique peninsula of Cape Cod showing the additional action of outwash plains, besides terminal moraines. The coastal plain broadens southwards, separated from the Piedmont region by the Atlantic Seaboard fall line of the East Coast rivers, often marking the head of navigation and prominent sites of cities. The coastal areas from Long Island south to Florida are often made up of barrier islands that front the coastal areas. Many of the larger capes along the lower East Coast are in fact barrier islands, like the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Florida Keys are made up of limestone coral and provide the only coral reefs on the US mainland. Demographics In 2010, the population of the states which have shoreline on the East Coast was estimated at 112,642,503 ( 36 % of the country 's total population ). The East Coast is the most populated coastal area in the United States. Transportation The primary Interstate Highway along the East Coast is Interstate 95, completed in the late 1970s, which replaced the historic U.S. Route 1 ( Atlantic Highway ), the original federal highway that traversed all East Coast states ( except Delaware ). By water, the East Coast is connected from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida, by the Intracoastal Waterway, also known as the East Coast Canal, which was completed in 1912. Amtrak 's Downeaster and Northeast Regional offer the main passenger rail service on the Seaboard. The Acela Express offers the only high - speed rail passenger service in the Americas. Between New York and Boston the Acela Express has up to a 54 % share of the combined train and air passenger market. Some of the largest airports in the United States are located in states which lie in the East Coast of the United States, such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Logan International Airport in Boston, Newark Liberty Airport in Newark, New Jersey, Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Baltimore -- Washington International Airport near Baltimore, Washington - Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Miami International Airport in Miami, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tampa International Airport in Tampa and Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida. See also United States portal Geography portal Atlantic coastal plain Atlantic Seaboard fall line BosWash ( Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. ) Northeast megalopolis Notes Jump up ^ Those colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. While Pennsylvania is not directly along the Atlantic shoreline, it borders the tidal portion of the Delaware River, and the city of Philadelphia was a major seaport. References Jump up ^ General Reference Map Archived 2012 - 10 - 17 at the Wayback Machine., National Atlas of the United States, 2003. Jump up ^ `` NOAA Chart Locator ''. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2013 - 03 - 09. Retrieved Feb 21, 2013. Jump up ^ 1500 - 1667 : Contact & Conflict, Maine History Online, Maine Historical Society Jump up ^ A Brief History of Florida : From the Stone Age to the Space Age, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State Jump up ^ Neal Dorst. `` Frequently Asked Questions : When is hurricane season ? ''. Hurricane Research Division, NOAA. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Gabler, Robert E. ; Petersen, James F. ; Trapasso, L. Michael ; Sack, Dorothy ( 2008 ). Physical Geography. Cengage Learning. p. 575. Retrieved March 14, 2016. Jump up ^ 2010 Census : Resident Population Data Archived October 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Let 's Go Roadtripping USA : The Student Travel Guide. Harvard Student Agencies. p. 31. Jump up ^ `` U.S. 1 : Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida ''. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. April 7, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Fun facts about US Route 1 '' Archived 2012 - 10 - 22 at the Wayback Machine., Roger 's Sport Center, Fort Kent, Maine Jump up ^ `` US Route 1 -- This is where it all begins '', Northern Door Inn, Fort Kent Jump up ^ Cappasso, Tony, `` America 's Highway : A Journal of Discovery Along US Route 1 '' Archived February 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Reiley, Laura ( 2008 ). Florida Gulf Coast. Moon Handbooks. p. 373. Jump up ^ Maurice J. Robinson. Ponte Vedra Beach : A History. p. 89. Jump up ^ Nixon, Ron ( August 15, 2012 ). `` Air Travel 's Hassles drive riders to Amtrak 's Acela ''. The New York Times. ( for Acela express passenger numbers only ) Jump up ^ `` The Information : Most popular airline routes ''. Financial Times. January 17, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Regions of North America Canada Eastern Canada Western Canada Canadian Prairies Central Canada Northern Canada Atlantic Canada The Maritimes French Canada English Canada Acadia Acadian Peninsula Quebec City -- Windsor Corridor Peace River Country Cypress Hills Palliser 's Triangle Canadian Shield Interior Alaska - Yukon lowland taiga Newfoundland ( island ) Vancouver island Gulf Islands Strait of Georgia Canadian Arctic Archipelago Labrador Peninsula Gaspé Peninsula Avalon Peninsula Bay de Verde Peninsula Brodeur Peninsula Melville Peninsula Bruce Peninsula Banks Peninsula ( Nunavut ) Cook Peninsula Gulf of Boothia Georgian Bay Hudson Bay James Bay Greenland United States Pacific Northwest Inland Northwest Northeast New England Mid-Atlantic Commonwealth West Midwest Upper Midwest Mountain States Intermountain West Basin and Range Province Oregon Trail Mormon Corridor Calumet Region Southwest Old Southwest Llano Estacado Frontier Strip Central United States Tallgrass prairie South South Central Deep South Upland South Four Corners East Coast West Coast Gulf Coast Third Coast Coastal states Eastern United States Appalachia Trans - Mississippi Great North Woods Great Plains Interior Plains Great Lakes Great Basin Great Basin Desert Acadia Ozarks Ark - La - Tex Waxhaws Siouxland Twin Tiers Driftless Area Palouse Piedmont Atlantic coastal plain Outer Lands Black Dirt Region Blackstone Valley Piney Woods Rocky Mountains Mojave Desert The Dakotas The Carolinas Shawnee Hills San Fernando Valley Tornado Alley North Coast Lost Coast Emerald Triangle San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Bay North Bay ( San Francisco Bay Area ) East Bay ( San Francisco Bay Area ) Silicon Valley Interior Alaska - Yukon lowland taiga Gulf of Mexico Lower Colorado River Valley Sacramento -- San Joaquin River Delta Yukon -- Kuskokwim Delta Colville Delta Arkansas Delta Mobile -- Tensaw River Delta Mississippi Delta Mississippi River Delta Columbia River Estuary Great Basin High Desert Monterey Peninsula Upper Peninsula of Michigan Lower Peninsula of Michigan Virginia Peninsula Keweenaw Peninsula Middle Peninsula Delmarva Peninsula Alaska Peninsula Kenai Peninsula Niagara Peninsula Beringia Belt regions Bible Belt Black Belt Corn Belt Cotton Belt Frost Belt Rice Belt Rust Belt Sun Belt Snow Belt Mexico Northern Mexico Baja California Peninsula Gulf of California Colorado River Delta Gulf of Mexico Soconusco Tierra Caliente La Mixteca La Huasteca Bajío Valley of Mexico Mezquital Valley Sierra Madre de Oaxaca Yucatán Peninsula Basin and Range Province Central Western Caribbean Zone Isthmus of Panama Gulf of Panama Pearl Islands Azuero Peninsula Mosquito Coast Caribbean West Indies Antilles Greater Antilles Lesser Antilles Leeward Leeward Antilles Windward Lucayan Archipelago Southern Caribbean Aridoamerica Mesoamerica Oasisamerica Northern Middle Anglo Latin French Hispanic American Cordillera Ring of Fire LAC Regions of the United States Administrative ( political ) Units U.S. state District of Columbia Insular area Minor Outlying Island Maritime territory Time zones Hawaii -- Aleutian Alaska Pacific Mountain Central Eastern Census West Pacific Mountain Midwest EN Central WN Central Northeast New England Middle Atlantic South S Atlantic ES Central WS Central Courts of appeals 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th Physical Physiographic Pacific Mountain Intermontane Plateaus Rocky Mountain Superior Upland Interior Plains Interior Highlands Appalachian Atlantic Plain Coastal Arctic West Great Lakes Gulf East Historical Acquisitions Thirteen Colonies Northwest Territory Southwest Territory Louisiana Purchase Gadsden Purchase Texas annexation Oregon Treaty Mexican Cession Alaska Purchase Newlands Resolution Civil War Union Border states Confederacy Old South Dixie Slave and free states Theaters Pacific Western Trans - Mississippi Lower Seaboard Eastern Divided Pacific Northwest Atlantic Northeast Prairie Pothole Columbia Oregon Other Appalachia Border states Red states and blue states Central Eastern Four Corners Great Plains High Plains Intermountain Interior Northern Northwest South Central Southern Deep New Upland Southeast Southwest List Category United States articles History By event Timeline of U.S. history Pre-Columbian era Colonial era Thirteen Colonies military history Continental Congress American Revolution War American frontier Drafting and ratification of Constitution Federalist Era War of 1812 Territorial acquisitions Territorial evolution Mexican -- American War Civil War Reconstruction Era Indian Wars Gilded Age Progressive Era African - American Civil Rights Movement 1865 -- 1895 / 1896 -- 1954 Spanish -- American War Imperialism World War I Roaring Twenties Great Depression World War II home front Nazism in the United States American Century Cold War Korean War Space Race Civil Rights Movement Feminist Movement Vietnam War Post-Cold War ( 1991 -- 2008 ) War on Terror War in Afghanistan Iraq War Recent events ( 2008 -- present ) By topic Outline of U.S. history Demographic Discoveries Economic debt ceiling Inventions before 1890 1890 -- 1945 1946 -- 91 after 1991 Military Postal Technological and industrial Geography Territory counties federal district federal enclaves Indian reservations insular zones minor outlying islands populated places states Earthquakes Extreme points Islands Mountains peaks ranges Appalachian Rocky National Park Service National Parks Regions East Coast West Coast Great Plains Gulf Mid-Atlantic Midwestern New England Pacific Central Eastern Northern Northeastern Northwestern Southern Southeastern Southwestern Western Rivers Colorado Columbia Mississippi Missouri Ohio Rio Grande Yukon Time Water supply and sanitation Politics Federal Executive Cabinet Civil service Executive departments Executive Office Independent agencies Law enforcement President of the United States Public policy Congress House of Representatives current members Speaker Senate current members President pro tempore Vice President Judiciary Courts of appeals District courts Supreme Court Law Bill of Rights civil liberties Code of Federal Regulations Constitution federalism preemption separation of powers Federal Reporter United States Code United States Reports Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Defense Intelligence Agency Federal Bureau of Investigation National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency Office of the Director of National Intelligence Uniformed Armed Forces Army Marine Corps Navy Air Force Coast Guard National Guard NOAA Corps Public Health Service Corps 51st state political status of Puerto Rico District of Columbia statehood movement Elections Electoral College Foreign relations Foreign policy Ideologies anti-Americanism exceptionalism nationalism Local government Parties Democratic Republican Third parties Red states and blue states Purple America Scandals State government governor state legislature state court Uncle Sam Economy By sector Agriculture Banking Communications Energy Insurance Manufacturing Mining Tourism Trade Transportation Companies by state Currency Exports Federal budget Federal Reserve System Financial position Labor unions Public debt Social welfare programs Taxation Unemployment Wall Street Society Culture Americana Architecture Cinema Cuisine Dance Demography Education Family structure Fashion Flag Folklore Languages American English Indigenous languages ASL Black American Sign Language HSL Plains Sign Talk Arabic Chinese French German Italian Russian Spanish Literature Media Journalism Internet Newspapers Radio Television Music Names People Philosophy Public holidays Religion Sexuality Sports Theater Visual art Social class Affluence American Dream Educational attainment Homelessness Home - ownership Household income Income inequality Middle class Personal income Poverty Professional and working class conflict Standard of living Wealth Issues Ages of consent Capital punishment Crime incarceration Criticism of government Discrimination affirmative action antisemitism intersex rights islamophobia LGBT rights racism same - sex marriage Drug policy Energy policy Environmental movement Gun politics Health care abortion health insurance hunger obesity smoking Human rights Immigration illegal International rankings National security Mass surveillance Terrorism Separation of church and state Outline Index Book Category Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_Coast_of_the_United_States&oldid=813719258 '' Categories : East Coast of the United States Coasts of the United States Regions of the United States Eastern United States Northeastern United States Southeastern United States Regions of the Southern United States Landforms of Maine Landforms of New Hampshire Landforms of Massachusetts Landforms of Rhode Island Landforms of Connecticut Landforms of New York ( state ) Landforms of New Jersey Landforms of Delaware Landforms of Maryland Landforms of Virginia Landforms of North Carolina Landforms of South Carolina Landforms of Georgia ( U.S. state ) Landforms of Florida Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from November 2012 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Български Català Čeština Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Føroyskt Français 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Kurdî Latina Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский Simple English Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 4 December 2017, at 22 : 02. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what ocean is east of the united states
Answer: North Atlantic Ocean