Most Forested States

Alabama is the fifth most forested state with 71.3% of the state being covered in forest and belongs to the top ten for total acreage at 23,105,000 acres.

Even though Alaska falls in the bottom half of states, ranking thirtieth for the percentage of forest coverage at 35.2%, it is first in total acres of forest area at 114,151,000 acres.

Arizona falls in the bottom ten of states for the percentage of forest coverage at 25.4%, ranking forty-first. But the state still is in the top twenty for the total acreage of forest, ranking seventeenth with 18,478,000 acres of forest.

Arkansas ranks fifteenth with a forest coverage of 56.8%. Both the area covered by forest and the total acreage of forest in Arkansas fall in the top fifteen of the United States.

California, despite being in the top five states for the total acreage of forest land at 31,606,000 acres, the state falls in the bottom half for its percentage of area covered at 31.7%, ranking thirty-fifth.

Colorado falls in the bottom half of states for the total percentage of the land covered in forest at 34.6%, the thirty-third in the country. However, the state has one of the top ten total acreages of forestland at 22,938,000 acres and ranks ninth.

Connecticut is in the top fifteen countries for the percentage of its area covered in forest at 56.9%, ranking fourteenth, despite its small acreage of forests at 1,763,000 acres and ranking forty-fifth.

Delaware falls near the bottom of states for areas covered by forests with 28.5% of forest coverage and ranks thirty-eighth.

Florida is in the top half of the states for both the percentage of its area covered by forests and the total acreage of forestland. With total forest coverage at 49.3% ranking twenty-first and 16,970,000 acres of forest, also ranking twenty-first.

With 66.5% of the state being covered by forests, Georgia ranks seventh.

Falling in the bottom five of states for acreage of forests, Hawaii is around the median of states for the percentage of its area covered in forest. The state has 35.8% of forest coverage and ranks twenty-ninth.

Idaho’s overall forest coverage is at 41%, ranking twenty-sixth in the country, and the state has 21,709,000 acres of forest.

Illinois is in the bottom half of states for the percentage of it covered in forests with 13.7% of forest coverage, ranking at forty-fifth.

With one of the lowest percentages of its area covered in forests, 20.8%, the state ranks forty-second compared to the rest of the United States.

Iowa is in the bottom ten of states for both forest coverage and the total acreage of forestland. With 8% of forest coverage, ranking forty-sixth, and 2,876,000 acres of forest ranking fortieth.

Kansas does not have a lot of forestland at 4.7% forest coverage, ranking forty-seventh. The state also has a low ranking for acres of forest too at forty-first, with 2,458,000 acres of forest.

Kentucky falls around the median of states for its forestland, both in percentage covered and total acreage. The state has 49% of forest coverage, ranking twenty-second, and 12,376,000 acres of forest, ranking twenty-ninth in the country.

Falling in the top twenty states for the percentage of land covered in forests, Louisiana has 54.3% of forest coverage, ranking eighteenth in the country.

Maine is the most forested state in the U.S. ranking first with 88.8% of the state covered in forest. The state's ranking for acres of forest is twentieth with 17,522,000 acres of forest. The northern and western parts of Maine boast a mostly coniferous forest, filled with towering evergreens such as spruce, fir, and pine. In addition to these conifers, deciduous trees are also abundant in Maine’s extensive forests, including oak, birch, maple, and poplar. These diverse woodlands provide ample habitat for a variety of wildlife species that call Maine home. The vast array of trees also provides economic opportunities to logging companies and sawmills as well as outdoor recreation opportunities for hikers and campers who are drawn to Maine’s lush wilderness.

Maryland has a forest coverage of 39.2% and ranks twenty-seventh. The state has 2,448,000 acres of forest and ranks forty-second in the U.S.

Seeing 59.8% of the state covered in forest and having 2,984,000 acres of forest, Massachusetts ranks thirty-ninth in the country.

Michigan has a forest coverage of 55.7% and ranks sixteenth. The total acreage of forest is also in the top twenty in the U.S. with 20,167,000 acres of forest, ranking twelve in the country.

With total forest coverage of 34.7%, Minnesota ranks thirty-second, and the state has 17,675,000 acres of forest.

Mississippi is in the top ten states for the percentage of its land covered in forests. With a forest coverage of 63.9%, the state ranks eighth.

For both the total acreage of forests and the percentage of land covered by it, Missouri ranks around the median of states. The state has a total of 34.8% of forest coverage, ranking thirty-first, and has 15,289,000 acres of forest, ranking twenty-fifth in the country.

Even though it falls in the top ten of states for acres of forest with 25,869,000 acres of the forest coming in fifth, Montana has a low percentage of forest coverage, ranking thirty-ninth with 27.8% of forest coverage.

Nebraska is near the bottom of the list of states for both the percentage of its area covered by forests and the total acreage. With a total of 2.9% forest coverage, the state ranks forty-ninth in the country.

With one of the smallest percentages of land covered in forests at 15.1%, Nevada ranks forty-fourth compared to the rest of the United States.

New Jersey falls around the median for the percentage of its land covered in forests at 42.3%, ranking third, but is in the bottom ten for total acreage at 1,989,000 acres and ranks forty-third.

Being one of the states with the most acreage of forests at 24,625,000 acres, ranking sixth, New Mexico is in the bottom half of states for the percentage of its area covered by forests at 31.7% and ranks thirty-sixth.

61.4% of the state of New York is covered by forest, ranking tenth in the country. The state also has 18,622,000 acres of forest and ranks sixteenth.

North Carolina is one of the most forested states with 60.35% of forest coverage, ranking eleventh.

North Dakota has the least amount of forests in the U.S. ranking fiftieth with 1.8% of forest coverage and also a low acreage of forests at 809,000 acres, ranking forty-eighth.

Ohio is in the bottom twenty states for both the percentage of it covered in forests and the total number of acres. The state has a total forest coverage of 29.9% and ranks thirty-seventh, and has 7,810,000 acres of forest, ranking thirty-fourth in the country.

Oklahoma ranks in the bottom half of states for the percentage of forest coverage. The state’s forest coverage is at 27%, ranking fortieth in the country, and has 11,839,000 acres of forest and ranks thirty-first in the U.S.

Oregon has 48.4% of its land covered by forest, ranking twenty-fourth in the country.

Pennsylvania is one of the most forested states with a forest coverage at 58%, ranking thirteenth.

Rhode Island falls in the top twenty for the percentage of its area covered at 54.5% and ranks seventeenth.

With 66.8% of its land covered by forest, South Carolina is the sixth most forested state in the country. South Carolina is around the median for total acreage at 12,857,000 acres, ranking twenty-eighth.

South Dakota falls near the bottom of states for both the percentage of it covered in forests and total acreage. With forest coverage at 3.9%, ranking forty-eighth, South Dakota is one of the least forested states.

Tennessee is in the top twenty states for the percentage of its area covered by forest at 52.6%, ranking nineteenth, and has a total of 13,882,000 acres of forest, ranking twenty-seventh.

Even though it is one of the top states for total acres of forests at 62,090,000 acres ranking second in the country, Texas ranks twenty-eighth for the percentage of it covered in forests at 37.1%.

Utah is in the bottom half of states for the percentage of it covered in forests at 34.2% ranking thirty-fourth, but in the top twenty for total acreage at 18,002,000 acres, ranking eighteenth.

Vermont is one of the most forested states with a forest coverage of 76.7%, ranking fourth in the U.S.

Virginia is one of the most forested states, with Virginia’s forest coverage at 63.6%, ranking ninth in the country.

Washington is in the top ten of states for acreage of forest with 22,064,000 acres ranking tenth and in the top twenty for the percentage of forest coverage at 51.9%, ranking twentieth.

West Virginia is the third most forested state in the country with 78.1% of its land covered by forest.