If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how many Great Lakes there are, you’re in the right place. There are five Great Lakes:
- Lake Huron
- Lake Ontario
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Erie
- Lake Superior
The 5 Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area. Because of their ocean-like characteristics, including rolling waves, strong current, and distant horizons, the Great Lakes are often referred to endearingly as inland seas.
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes, located in the midwestern United States. By surface area, Lake Huron is the second-largest of the Great Lakes and the third-largest lake on planet Earth.
Lake Huron Facts
- Surface area: 23,007 square miles
- Shoreline: 3,827 miles
- Maximum depth: 750 feet
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes, located in the midwestern United States. As the last lake in the Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the sole outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River (the easternmost end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which is a system of locks, canals, and channels that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes). Lake Ontario is also the smallest of the five Great Lakes, by surface area.
Lake Ontario Facts
- Surface area: 7,340 square miles
- Shoreline: 712 miles
- Maximum depth: 802 feet
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes, located in the midwestern United States. With shoreline in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake lying completely within the United States.
Lake Michigan Facts
- Surface area: 22,404 square miles
- Shoreline: 14,000 miles
- Maximum depth: 923 feet
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes, located in the midwestern United States. Lake Erie is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest Great Lake by volume. Because of its shallow depths, Lake Erie is the first of the Great Lakes to freeze. Lake Erie accounts for an estimated 50% of all fish inhabiting the Great Lakes and is home to one of the world’s largest freshwater commercial fisheries.
Lake Erie Facts
- Surface area: 9,910 square miles
- Shoreline: 799 miles
- Maximum depth: 210 feet
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is one of the five Great Lakes, located in the midwestern United States. Lake Superior is the northernmost of the Great Lakes and the world’s largest lake by surface area. In fact, Lake Superior holds approximately 10% of the world’s surface fresh water. Lake Superior is also notorious for its storms, which regularly feature wave heights of over 20 feet.
Lake Superior Facts
- Surface area: 31,700 square miles
- Shoreline: 1,729 miles
- Maximum depth: 1,333 feet
How to Remember the Great Lakes
Want to sound like a local when you talk about the Great Lakes? An easy way to remember the names of all five of the Great Lakes is to use the acronym HOMES.
- Huron
- Ontario
- Michigan
- Erie
- Superior
