Five Great Lakes of North America

The five Great Lakes of North America are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes that cover 94,250 square miles and contain 21% of the world’s surface freshwater. Lake Superior, the largest and northernmost, is shared by the United States and Canada.

Lake Michigan is the only one entirely within the U.S., while Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario straddle the U.S.-Canada border. These lakes form a vital freshwater ecosystem with economic and ecological significance.

In this article, we will explore five great lakes of North America, along with their surface area, volume, and location.

What are the Five Great Lakes of North America?

The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes located in the east-central part of North America. They are Earth’s largest fresh surface water system, with a combined area of about 94,250 square miles. The Great Lakes are the second-largest group of lakes globally by total volume, holding approximately 21% of the world’s surface fresh water by volume. They are believed to have formed about 20,000 years ago when glaciers melted and filled the Earth’s surface basins. The Great Lakes were formed by deep glacial erosion. The first inhabitants of the Great Lakes region were American Indians, who gave each lake a unique name. More than 3,500 plant and animal species are found in this freshwater ecosystem, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth.

Five Great Lakes of North America on Map

Five Great Lakes of North America on a Map with names is as follows:

List of Five Great Lakes of North America

Five Great lakes of North America with their surface area are listed below:

Lake	Surface Area (sq miles)	Volume (cubic miles)
Superior	31,700	2,900
Michigan	22,400	4,918
Huron	23,000	3,540
Erie	9,910	116
Ontario	7,340	393

1. Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest and northernmost of the Great Lakes, situated on the border between the United States and Canada.

• Surface Area: Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, covering 31,700 square miles. It is 350 miles long and 160 miles wide and contains more water than the other four combined.
• Volume: It’s the deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes and have a maximum depth of 1,332 feet.
• Location: Straddling the Canada–United States border, Lake Superior is located in central North America. To the north and east is the Canadian province of Ontario and the Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin states of U.S are to the south.
• Water: Lake Superior volume is second only to Russia’s Lake Baikal and contains nearly 10% of the world’s surface freshwater.
• Drainage: Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron via the St. Marys River. From there, the water flows through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and finally to the Atlantic Ocean.
• Lake Superior is fed by more than 300 rivers and streams, including the St. Louis River in Minnesota and the Nipigon River in Ontario, Canada. Drainage basin of the lake is 49,300 square miles, and its shoreline is almost 2,800 miles long.

2. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and is the only lake located entirely within the United States.

• Surface Area: With a surface area of 22,300 square miles, it is the third largest of the Great Lakes. The lake is 321 miles long and has a maximum width of 118 miles.
• Volume: It have average depth of 279 feet and reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.
• Location: Lake Michigan is located in the United States and is shared by the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. It is the only Great Lake that is entirely within the United States.
• Drainage: Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac. Water from Lake Michigan travels through the Straits of Mackinac to Lake Huron, then to the St. Clair River, and eventually to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
• With a average surface elevation of 577.5 feet, the shore of the lake is home to world’s largest freshwater sand dunes. Lake Michigan is known for its beaches, dunes, and fishing and has a diverse climate and a variety of natural habitats, including savannas, prairies, and dunes.

3. Lake Huron

Lake Huron situated between the United States and Canada, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The French named the lake after the Huron Indians. 

• Surface Area: Lake Huron is the second-largest Great Lake by surface area and the fourth-largest lake in the world by surface area. It’s 206 miles wide and 183 miles from north to south.
• Volume: Lake Huron is the third largest by volume and has an average depth of 195 feet and a maximum depth of 750 feet.
• Location: It shares its southern and eastern shores with the state of Michigan, USA and northern boundary with the province of Ontario, Canada.
• Drainage: Through the Detroit Rivers and St. Clair Rivers, Lake Huron drains into Lake Erie, and then through the Niagara River, it drains into Lake Ontario. Finally it drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
• Including its 30,000 islands the lake has the longest shoreline of any lake in the world.

4. Lake Erie

Lake Erie is situated in the northeastern part of North America. It is the eleventh-largest lake by surface area in the world.

• Surface Area: Lake Erie is the fourth-largest Great Lake with a surface area of 9,990 square miles. The length of the lake is 241 miles, and breadth is 57 miles.
• Volume: By volume Lake Erie is the shallowest and smallest of the Great Lake with 119 cubic miles. The average depth of the lake is about 62 feet and have a maximum depth of 210 feet.
• Location: It is bordered by the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario.
• Drainage: Lake Erie drains into Lake Ontario through the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. The entire system then flows through the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean.

5. Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is the 14th largest lake in the world by surface area. It is also the smallest and easternmost of the Great Lakes.

• Surface Area: With a surface area of 18,960 square kilometers Lake Ontario is roughly elliptical in shape. It has a length of 310.6 kilometers. 
• Volume: Lake Ontario is the third deepest Great Lake after Lakes Superior and Michigan with a maximum depth of 802 feet. The average depth is 283 feet, and has a flushing time of about six years.
• Location: Lake Ontario is bordered to the north, west, and southwest by Ontario, and to the south and east by New York. The Canada–United States border runs through the middle of the lake.
• Drainage: The drainage basin of the Lake Ontario is 24,720 square miles. The primary source of water to the lake is Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie. Other rivers that feed into Lake Ontario include:  Genesee River, Oswego River, Trent river, and Black River. The lake finallly drains into the St. Lawrence River.

Summary – Five Great Lakes of North America

The Great Lakes of North America are Lakes Superior, lake Michigan, lake Huron, lake Erie, and lake Ontario. Formd by the glacial activity, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world with a total surface area of 94,250 square miles. Lake Superior is the largest by surface area and is shared by U.S and Canada and Lake Michigan is entirely within U.S. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan together are considered one water body. Lake Erie supports a diverse ecosystem and is the shallowest of the Great lake. The smallest of Great Lakes, Lake Ontario connects all lakes through the Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. These interconnected lakes influence the ecology of the area, economic activities like shipping and industry and provides recreational activities.

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FAQs on Five Great Lakes of North America

Which is the smallest of the five Great Lakes of North America?

The smallest of the five Great Lakes in North America is Lake Ontario. With a surface area of 7,340 square miles, it’s the easternmost of the lakes.

What are the five Great Lakes from largest to smallest?

The five Great Lakes, from the largest to the smallest are Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.

Which Great Lake is the biggest?

The biggest of the Great Lakes is Lake Superior with a surface area of 37,700 square miles. It is also the second largest lake by surface area in the world.

Which Great Lake connects to the ocean?

The Great Lake which connects to the Atlantic Ocean is Lake Ontario. The water from Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River and finally into the Atlantic Ocean.

Which is the smallest of the five Great Lakes of North America?

The smallest of the five Great Lakes in North America is Lake Ontario, with a surface area of 7,340 square miles. It is also the easternmost lake of North America.

Which great lake is the deepest?

The deepest of the Great Lakes is Lake Superior with a maximum depth of 1,332 feet. Lake Superior is also the largest and coldest of the Great Lakes.

Which Great Lake does not touch Canada?

The only Great Lake that doesn’t touch Canada. is the Lake Michigan. It’s the third largest by surface area and second largest lake by volume.

Why is the Great Lakes famous?

The Great Lakes Superior, Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Erie, are famous for being the world’s largest freshwater system with a total surface area of 94,600 square miles.