What states have alligators?
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
The short answer
Official sources confirm American alligators in 11 states, rare in 1 of them.
Official sources say they do not live in Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, or have no established population there. They are not on the official lists of Maine, Montana, New York, South Dakota and Washington; a list is not a statement that they are absent. For Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming we found no official statement either way. That does not mean they are absent.
Map
- Yes, per official sources
- Yes, but rare
- No, per official sources
- Not on the state's official list
- No official statement found
State by state
| State | Alligators here? | What the official sources say | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | The American alligator is the only alligator species in Alabama and is found statewide. “Alligators are found statewide in Alabama.” | Outdoor Alabama |
| Arkansas | Yes | The American alligator is native to Arkansas. It now ranges as far northwest as Petit Jean Wildlife Management Area and as far northeast as the St. Francis River near Paragould. “Alligators now range as far northwest as Petit Jean Wildlife Management Area, and as far northeast as the St. Francis River near Paragould.” | AGFC |
| Florida | Yes | Alligators live in Florida marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes and are found in all 67 counties; serious injuries are rare. “Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties.” | FWC |
| Georgia | Yes | Georgia DNR: approximately 200,000-250,000 alligators in the state; in Georgia they typically live along and south of the fall line (roughly Columbus, Macon and Augusta), with no evidence of reproducing populations north of it. “There are approximately 200,000-250,000 alligators in the state of Georgia. … In Georgia, they typically live along and south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta).” | Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division |
| Louisiana | Yes | LDWF says Louisiana's wild alligator population has grown to more than 3 million. “Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million in the past 50 years.” | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries |
| Mississippi | Yes | MDWFP estimated 32,000-38,000 alligators and about 408,000 acres of alligator habitat; Jackson County has the most habitat. The estimate comes from an undated page that refers to 2000 surveys. “We recently estimated that there are 32,000-38,000 alligators and about 408,000 acres of alligator habitat in Mississippi.” | MDWFP |
| North Carolina | Yes | American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, in patches along the coast; NC is the northern extent of their range. “American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, inhabiting bay lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds, with local populations distributed in patches along the coast.” | N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission |
| South Carolina | Yes | The American alligator is the only crocodilian native to South Carolina; SREL says alligators are restricted to the Coastal Plain. “…it is the only crocodilian native to South Carolina.” | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources |
| Tennessee | Yes | TWRA: "Since 2018, confirmed sightings in Shelby, Fayette, and Hardin counties have been recorded by the TWRA", and an alligator was caught in Norris Lake in East Tennessee in March 2024. TWRA says alligators are expanding their range naturally from southern border states. USGS NAS separately lists two nonindigenous records (Marion 2009, Union 2024), both status "failed". “There have been several confirmed sightings of alligators in Southwest Tennessee in recent years.” | Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency |
| Texas | Yes | TPWD: the American alligator occurs in the eastern third of Texas, in or near water. “The American alligator is found throughout the southern U.S., including the eastern third of Texas.” | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Oklahoma | Yes, but rare | ODWC: alligators are difficult to find in Oklahoma but occur in remote, marshy areas of the southeastern corner. ODWC lists the American alligator as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need. “American alligators are difficult to find in Oklahoma. But they can be found in remote and marshy areas in the southeastern corner of the state.” | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation |
| Alaska | No | ADF&G says the only reptiles in Alaska are rare sea turtles. “The only reptiles in Alaska are rare sightings of sea turtles.” | Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
| Colorado | Not established | USGS NAS lists four nonindigenous alligator records in Colorado (1978, 1991, 2005, 2009), each with status "failed" (not established). | USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database |
| Delaware | No | DNREC's 2018-2023 herp atlas recorded one American alligator among non-native animals that were most likely escaped or released pets. DNREC says most such species cannot survive Delaware's cold winters. “Other non-native species include an American alligator, a ball python and a green iguana, each of which were likely exotic pets that escaped or were released.” | DNREC |
| Idaho | No | USGS NAS has two Idaho alligator records (Bonneville County 2009, New Plymouth 2022), both with status "failed" (not established). | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database |
| Kansas | No | KHA: the American Alligator is known in Kansas only from introduced individuals, with no wild reproducing population; the nearest are along the Red River in southeastern Oklahoma. “Known only from introduced individuals. There are no wild reproducing populations of the American Alligator in Kansas.” | Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas (Travis W. Taggart), Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University |
| Kentucky | Not established | Alligators are not on KDFWR's reptile list. USGS NAS lists two nonindigenous records: Ballard County 2018 (status unknown) and Harlan County 2017 (status failed). | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database |
| Massachusetts | No | No crocodilian is on the MassWildlife list. USGS NAS has 4 American alligator records in Massachusetts (2005-2007, Rehoboth, Townsend, Brockton, Blackstone), all marked failed; it also has 2 failed Common Caiman records. | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database |
| Michigan | No | USGS has only 5 Michigan alligator records (2005-2019), all marked 'failed' (no established population). | US Geological Survey |
| Missouri | Not established | USGS NAS lists 6 nonindigenous American alligator records in Missouri (St. Louis 2003, Cass 2005, Boone 2007, Taney 2009, Jefferson 2010, Ste. Genevieve 2010), all with status "failed" (not established). | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database |
| Nevada | Not established | USGS lists a single American alligator record in Nevada: Sunset Park pond, Las Vegas, 2009, status "failed". USGS says records may not reflect established populations. No Nevada agency source lists alligators. | US Geological Survey |
| New Jersey | Not established | USGS NAS lists 5 American alligator records in New Jersey (1933 Essex, 1942 Union, 2005 Middlesex, 2018 Atlantic, 2021 Middlesex): four are marked failed and the 2021 record has no status. New Jersey lists alligators as a "potentially dangerous species" that needs a permit to possess. | US Geological Survey |
| Ohio | Not established | USGS NAS has 7 Ohio records of American alligators (2007-2023). Six are marked "failed" (not established); a 2023 St. Marys River (Auglaize County) record is marked "unknown". USGS notes that collection records do not mean a population is established. | US Geological Survey |
| Oregon | Not established | USGS NAS has 2 Oregon records of American alligator (Clackamas 2008, Josephine 2009), both with status "failed", which NAS defines as a population that did not successfully reproduce or have overwinter survival. | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database |
| Virginia | No | USGS lists eight released or escaped American alligator records in Virginia (1969-2008), every one with status "failed"; DWR's native and naturalized fauna list includes no crocodilians. | US Geological Survey |
| West Virginia | Not established | USGS records five American alligators in West Virginia (1928 to 2016), each with status "failed". | US Geological Survey |
| Wisconsin | No | No wild population. USGS lists 4 American alligator records in Wisconsin (2007-2023: Washington, Fond du Lac, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties), every one with status "failed" (not established). | NAS |
| Maine | Not on the official list | No Maine list includes a crocodilian. The USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species reptile list for Maine has only one entry, the red-eared slider. | US Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database |
| Montana | Not on the official list | The Field Guide reptile family pages list lizards, snakes and turtles only; no alligator is listed and no statement about alligators was found. | Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide |
| New York | Not on the official list | DEC's checklist has no crocodilian. USGS NAS lists 25 American alligator records in New York as a native transplant: 22 marked failed and 3 with no status (Queens 2021, Kings 2023, Nassau 2025). USGS warns its records may not reflect established populations. | USGS |
| South Dakota | Not on the official list | No crocodilian appears on the SDGFP amphibian and reptile checklist. | South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks |
| Washington | Not on the official list | No alligator or crocodilian appears on the Herp Atlas checklist of Washington amphibians and reptiles. | Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service |
| Arizona | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| California | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Connecticut | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Hawaii | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Illinois | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Indiana | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Iowa | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Maryland | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Minnesota | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Nebraska | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| New Hampshire | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| New Mexico | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| North Dakota | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Pennsylvania | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Rhode Island | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Utah | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Vermont | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
| Wyoming | No official statement found | No official statement found in our sources; that does not mean they are absent. | — |
Species guides
How this is answered
Each state's answer comes from that state's own official sources: its wildlife agency, Extension service or another public body. We use, in order, the state's sourced answer to this question, then the animal's place on the state's official species list, then an official source quoted in our species guide. Where none of these settles it, the state is shown as "No official statement found". We never mark a state as having none without an official statement. Sightings and photo records are not used here. How questions are answered.
Sources
- Living with Alligators. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Outdoor Alabama). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Alligators are found statewide in Alabama.”
- Sounds Wild: No Snakes in Alaska (radio episode transcript). Alaska Department of Fish and Game. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“The only reptiles in Alaska are rare sightings of sea turtles.”
- American Alligator (brochure). Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Alligators now range as far northwest as Petit Jean Wildlife Management Area, and as far northeast as the St. Francis River near Paragould.”
- NAS occurrence API: Alligator mississippiensis in Colorado. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. live API query 2026-11-03; checked November 3, 2026.
- Gone Herpin' - DNREC Catalogs Delaware's Reptiles and Amphibians (Outdoor Delaware). Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). published 2020-09-30, modified 2025-07-08; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Other non-native species include an American alligator, a ball python and a green iguana, each of which were likely exotic pets that escaped or were released.”
- Living with Alligators. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). archived copy, captured October 25, 2026; checked November 3, 2026. Archived copy.
Quoted passages (1)
“Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties.”
- Alligator Fact Sheet. Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Revised 09/16; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“There are approximately 200,000-250,000 alligators in the state of Georgia. … In Georgia, they typically live along and south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta).”
- Collection info: Alligator mississippiensis, Idaho. U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- KHA species account: American Alligator. Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas (Travis W. Taggart), Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University. updated June 5, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Known only from introduced individuals. There are no wild reproducing populations of the American Alligator in Kansas.”
- NAS Collection Info: Alligator mississippiensis in Kentucky. U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. live query 2026-11-03; checked November 3, 2026.
- Alligator. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 3 million in the past 50 years.”
- NAS Species List: Reptiles, Maine. U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- American alligator - Collections (Massachusetts). U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- USGS NAS collection info: American alligator in Michigan. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- The Recovery of the American Alligator in Mississippi. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“We recently estimated that there are 32,000-38,000 alligators and about 408,000 acres of alligator habitat in Mississippi.”
- USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database: Alligator mississippiensis occurrences, state=MO (API v2). U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Montana Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians (family species lists). Montana Natural Heritage Program (Montana State Library) with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Montana Field Guide. archived copy, captured May 6, 2025; checked November 3, 2026.
- American alligator - Collections, Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- USGS NAS records: American alligator, New Jersey. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- American alligator collections, New York. USGS. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Alligator, American (NCWRC species page). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“American alligators occur naturally in North Carolina, inhabiting bay lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, swamps and ponds, with local populations distributed in patches along the coast.”
- NAS collection info: American alligator, Ohio. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- American Alligator (field guide). Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“American alligators are difficult to find in Oklahoma. But they can be found in remote and marshy areas in the southeastern corner of the state.”
- NAS occurrence records: Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator) in Oregon. U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- American Alligator. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“…it is the only crocodilian native to South Carolina.”
- Amphibians and Reptiles checklist. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (Wildlife Action Plan website checklists). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
- Alligators in Tennessee. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. archived copy, captured October 22, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“There have been several confirmed sightings of alligators in Southwest Tennessee in recent years.”
- TPWD Wildlife Fact Sheet: American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (1)
“The American alligator is found throughout the southern U.S., including the eastern third of Texas.”
- NAS collection info: Alligator mississippiensis, Virginia. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Washington State Herp Atlas: Checklist of Washington Amphibians and Reptiles (pp. 13-14). Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service. Published 2009, revised 2017; checked November 3, 2026.
- American alligator: Collections in West Virginia. U.S. Geological Survey. database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- USGS NAS occurrence search: American alligator, Wisconsin. U.S. Geological Survey (NAS). query result 2026-11-03; checked November 3, 2026.