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 basic climate regions on the East Coast according to the Köppen climate classification from north to south based on the monthly mean temperature of the coldest month ( January ) : The region from northern Maine south to northern Connecticut has continental climate, with warm summers, and cold and snowy winters. The area from southern Connecticut and New York City south to central Florida has a Temperate climate, with long, hot summers and cold winters with occasional snow. Winters become milder with decreasing latitude until around 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 in the Mid-Atlantic states from southern Connecticut south to Virginia ( as at Wilmington, Delaware, and Norfolk, Virginia ), to a more pronounced summer maximum from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, southward along the Southeastern United States coast 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, and a dry, and sunny late fall, winter, and early spring. 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, Texas, 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. 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Question: what ocean is off the east coast of the united states
Answer: the Atlantic Ocean