While I was sitting in an Astronomy magazine story meeting yesterday, one of the other editors asked the question, “When was the last time each of the 50 states saw totality?” Having spoken and written extensively about the eclipse (talks, podcasts, stories, blogs, even a book), I thought I’d heard every eclipse-related query. Not this one. Anyway, the question sent me into research mode, and the two lists below are what I discovered. Two lists, because I couldn’t just look to the past … I felt compelled to venture into the future to discover the next totality that will touch each state.
Please note that I’m using “states” here in the geographic, not the political, sense, meaning, “in the area currently designated as the state.” In other words, the date listed could be before that area of land officially became a state.
My special thanks go out to eclipse experts John Tilley of England and Michael Zeiler for helping me nail down the most distant state eclipse, that of Delaware. And also to Charles Fulco, who corrected my erroneous belief that totality during the 1970 eclipse touched only five states. His email to me added a sixth: Massachusetts.
And for the second list, two dedicated eclipse aficionados — Canadian Stephen Bedingfield and John Tilley once again — helped me out by correcting a few mistakes I’d included. I offer my sincere thanks to both of them for fact-checking my dates and helping me look smarter than I actually am.
| Most Recent Totality |
Next Totality |
| Alabama |
June 8, 1918 |
Alabama |
August 12, 2045 |
| Alaska |
July 20, 1963 |
Alaska |
March 30, 2033 |
| Arizona |
June 16, 1806 |
Arizona |
July 17, 2205 |
| Arkansas |
June 8, 1918 |
Arkansas |
April 8, 2024 |
| California |
April 28, 1930 |
California |
August 12, 2045 |
| Colorado |
June 8, 1918 |
Colorado |
August 12, 2045 |
| Connecticut |
January 24, 1925 |
Connecticut |
May 1, 2079 |
| Delaware |
July 29, 1478 |
Delaware |
October 26, 2144 |
| District of Columbia |
July 29, 1478 |
District of Columbia |
September 12, 2444 |
| Florida |
March 7, 1970 |
Florida |
August 12, 2045 |
| Georgia |
March 7, 1970 |
Georgia |
August 12, 2045 |
| Hawaii |
July 11, 1991 |
Hawaii |
May 3, 2106> |
| Idaho |
February 26, 1979 |
Idaho |
June 25, 2169 |
| Illinois |
August 7, 1869 |
Illinois |
April 8, 2024 |
| Indiana |
August 7, 1869 |
Indiana |
April 8, 2024 |
| Iowa |
June 30, 1954 |
Iowa |
October 17, 2153 |
| Kansas |
June 8, 1918 |
Kansas |
August 12, 2045 |
| Kentucky |
August 7, 1869 |
Kentucky |
April 8, 2024 |
| Louisiana |
June 8, 1918 |
Louisiana |
August 12, 2045 |
| Maine |
July 20, 1963 |
Maine |
April 8, 2024 |
| Maryland |
March 7, 1970 |
Maryland |
September 14, 2099 |
| Massachusetts |
March 7, 1970 |
Massachusetts |
May 1, 2079 |
| Michigan |
June 30, 1954 |
Michigan |
April 8, 2024 |
| Minnesota |
June 30, 1954 |
Minnesota |
September 14, 2099 |
| Mississippi |
June 8, 1918 |
Mississippi |
August 12, 2045 |
| Missouri |
August 7, 1869 |
Missouri |
April 8, 2024 |
| Montana |
February 26, 1979 |
Montana |
August 23, 2044 |
| Nebraska |
June 30, 1954 |
Nebraska |
May 3, 2106 |
| Nevada |
April 28, 1930 |
Nevada |
August 12, 2045 |
| New Hampshire |
August 31, 1932 |
New Hampshire |
April 8, 2024 |
| New Jersey |
January 24, 1925 |
New Jersey |
May 1, 2079 |
| New Mexico |
July 29, 1878 |
New Mexico |
August 12, 2045 |
| New York |
January 24, 1925 |
New York |
April 8, 2024 |
| North Carolina |
March 7, 1970 |
North Carolina |
May 11, 2078 |
| North Dakota |
February 26, 1979 |
North Dakota |
August 23, 2044 |
| Ohio |
June 16, 1806 |
Ohio |
April 8, 2024 |
| Oklahoma |
June 8, 1918 |
Oklahoma |
April 8, 2024 |
| Oregon |
February 26, 1979 |
Oregon |
October 5, 2108 |
| Pennsylvania |
January 24, 1925 |
Pennsylvania |
April 8, 2024 |
| Rhode Island |
January 24, 1925 |
Rhode Island |
May 1, 2079 |
| South Carolina |
March 7, 1970 |
South Carolina |
March 30, 2052 |
| South Dakota |
June 30, 1954 |
South Dakota |
August 23, 2044 |
| Tennessee |
August 7, 1869 |
Tennessee |
April 8, 2024 |
| Texas |
May 28, 1900 |
Texas |
April 8, 2024 |
| Utah |
January 11, 1880 |
Utah |
August 12, 2045 |
| Vermont |
August 31, 1932 |
Vermont |
April 8, 2024 |
| Virginia |
March 7, 1970 |
Virginia |
May 11, 2078 |
| Washington |
February 26, 1979 |
Washington |
June 25, 2169 |
| West Virginia |
August 7, 1869 |
West Virginia |
September 14, 2099 |
| Wisconsin |
June 30, 1954 |
Wisconsin |
September 14, 2099 |
| Wyoming |
June 8, 1918 |
Wyoming |
May 3, 2106 |