The 10 Steepest States of the USA

What are the steepest states of the United States? Steepest here is defined simply as the highest average slope angle over full state areas (including inland water bodies). Analyses were conducted in Google Earth Engine using the highest currently available resolution DEM product (USGS 3DEP, 10 m) that spans all 50 states. Alaska has a data gap, but this is not anticipated to impact presented results. Maps produced in ArcGIS Pro. Results for the ten steepest states:
Rank State Deg Dominant Steep Physiographic Region(s)
1 WV 17.01 Appalachian Plateau; Appalachian Mountains
2 WA 13.28 Coast Range; Cascades; Northern Rockies
3 ID 13.25 Northern Rocky Mountains
4 CA 11.99 Coast Range; Sierra Nevada; Basin and Range; +
5 OR 11.07 Coast Range; Cascades; Intermontane Mtns
6 KY 10.05 Appalachian Mountains; Interior Plateaus
7 UT 10.03 Rocky Mountains; Basin and Range
8 HI 9.90 Hawaiʻi Hotspot Volcanoes
9 AK 9.37 Aleutian Range; Alaska Range; Brooks Range; +
10 VT 9.18 Appalachian Highlands
Remaining states have an average slope angle below 9 degrees. Please see my separate video on the flattest states of the USA.
Complete state listing of average slopes (degrees) in ascending order:
FL,0.98; DE,1.40; LA,1.62; MN,2.11; KS,2.36; IL,2.39; MI,2.46; ND,2.50; TX,2.57; SC,2.95; IN,3.02; NJ,3.11; OK,3.23; WI,3.36; IA,3.37; SD,3.38; GA,3.60; MS,3.69; RI,3.73; NE,3.76; DC,4.48; MD,4.53; AR,4.57; ME,4.70; OH,4.77; MO,4.93; MA,5.23; AL,5.29; CT,5.67; NM,5.74; NC,5.79; NY,5.96; WY,7.77; AZ,7.77; PA,8.11; NH,8.19; NV,8.39; TN,8.60; CO,8.65; VA,8.75; MT,8.80; VT,9.18; AK,9.37; HI,9.90; UT,10.03; KY,10.05; OR,11.07; CA,11.99; ID,13.25; WA,13.28; WV,17.01
Keywords: Geography Viz, United States Geography, Steepness by State, Average Slope, Mountain States, USGS 3DEP DEM, Google Earth Engine
Data Sources:
USGS; 3DEP 10m National Map Seamless (1/3 Arc-Second [10 m]) DEM; developers.google.com/earth-e...
ESRI; Terrain - Multi-Directional Hillshade function; www.arcgis.com/home/item.html...
ESRI; USA States Generalized Boundaries; www.arcgis.com/home/item.html...
sparksa_umich; great_lakes; www.arcgis.com/home/item.html...
ESRI; World Terrain Basemap
Image sources:
10 VT; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:So... Mike9827
9a AK; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... PD-USGov-Interior-FWS
9b AK; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Frank K
9c AK; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... images.fws.gov
8a HI; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... USGS J.D. Griggs
8b HI; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... MEBurkhart
7a UT; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CanyonChaser
7b UT; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Don LaVange
6a KY; www.lpm.org/news/2019-07-13/l... Kentucky National Land Trust
6b KY; www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisi... NPS Photo Thomas DiGiovannangelo
5a OR; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... brx0
5b OR; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Doug Kerr
4 CA; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Jeffrey Pang
3 ID; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Forest Service Northern Region
2a WA; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Dllu
2b WA; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Walter Siegmund
2c WA; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... David Gluns
1 WV; commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... ForestWander

[@Connie.T.]

It's so interesting -- even though WV and KY have such low peaks compared to AZ or NV, closely spaced and super steep hills beat out the many times taller peaks that have gentler slopes. It's like how sandpaper is rougher than a washboard.

[@zachb2404]

This channel has every video I never knew I needed. Keep it up

[@davehunger21]

Love all of the videos. Keep em coming!

[@michaelgranger7113]

If the state of Colorado could be magically flattened, it would be the largest state in the country. Even larger than Alaska.

[@newsaxonyproductions7871]

I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of the states using this system but for all of them. Would Alaska still be at the top through its sheer amount of mass, or would a very mountainous State like Colorado or WV take over, I wonder?

[@alexmason5521]

@@newsaxonyproductions7871Alaska has much larger and taller mountains. It would win by a long shot.

[@aidanm5913]

Dude your channel is so underrated! This stuff is so fascinating and I love how you get right to the point as well as how you explain it in-depth in the description! Keep these up and your channel will grow soooo much larger!

[@kxi529]

great channel man, I respect the fact that you don’t put cliché background music and jump right into the topic of discussion. keep it up

[@ChesBurgerGaming]

As a coloradan we have an extremely flat east which might be why we arent on

[@geogviz]

Love the physical diversity of your state! Of course it ranks way up there on the highest point video I did a while back.

[@DempseyBoss]

i love these.

[@stingtail9787]

You skipped nevada with more mountain ranges than any state.

[@metalliqaz]

Yes!

[@urbanlegendsandtrivia2023]

Kentucky is #6 on this list, but its high point is 4,145 feet.

[@chrisk5651]

Colorado didn’t make the list?!?!!! But Kentucky did?!?!!!

[@leslietaylor4458]

Southern Illinois has mountains

[@venomlink2033]

Lmao