You learned bays, capes and peninsulas in Bays, Gulfs and Coasts. The U.S. coastline has famous examples of each.
Key idea
The United States has three main coasts: the Atlantic (Maine to Florida), the Gulf (Florida to Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico (since 2025 the U.S. federal government calls it the Gulf of America)) and the Pacific (Washington to California, plus Alaska and Hawaii). Famous features include Chesapeake Bay, Cape Cod, the Florida Peninsula, Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay.
Why it works
Why do so many big cities sit on bays? A bay is water partly wrapped by land, so its waves are calmer than the open ocean. Ships could anchor safely there, so ports grew: Baltimore on Chesapeake Bay, Boston near Cape Cod Bay, Seattle on Puget Sound, and San Francisco and Oakland on San Francisco Bay.
Worked example: Two coasts
Which state has coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf?
- A state would have to stick out between the two bodies of water.
- The Florida Peninsula does just that.
- Its east coast faces the Atlantic; its west coast faces the Gulf.
Answer: Florida.
Common mistake
Students forget the Gulf coast. It is the long southern shore of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Its body of water is the Gulf of Mexico; since 2025 the U.S. federal government calls it the Gulf of America. You may see either name on maps.