Where Do Lynxes Actually Live in the US?
Lynxes live in 7 US states and are confirmed absent from 32 more, based on 7,630 verified iNaturalist and GBIF records. This page covers every state at once instead of one near-identical page per state.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
The states with the strongest confirmed populations are Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and Montana, and 1 more. These are real, verified iNaturalist and GBIF occurrence records, not modeled range estimates.
Lynxes have zero confirmed wild sightings in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii and Illinois, or 22 other states, despite tens of thousands of nationwide observation records for the species. That is a real, checked absence, not a missing page.
Confirmed states (7)
Not found (32)
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Frequently asked questions
What states do lynxes live in?+
Lynxes have confirmed wild populations in 7 US states: Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and Washington.
Where are lynxes not found in the US?+
Lynxes have no confirmed wild sightings in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Full lynxes guides by state