Updated August 2026
Cleanest beaches in the US by water quality
Bowman's Beach in Lee County, Florida currently leads this list — Grade A, 0% of samples over the EPA limit across 687 results. Of 3,000 graded beaches, 38% earn an A. The top 50 span 12 states, led by Florida with 17. Letters use multi-year EPA samples; they are not a same-day swim clearance.
| # | Grade | Beach | State | County | % over limit | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Bowman's BeachLee County, Florida | Florida | Lee | 0% | 687 |
| 2 | A | Regional Public Access At Mile Marker 12 On New River InletOnslow County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Onslow | 0% | 333 |
| 3 | A | Swimming Area 100 Yards South Of Park Service Dock Near BardCarteret County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Carteret | 0% | 331 |
| 4 | A | Ferry Road Public AccessBrunswick County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Brunswick | 0% | 328 |
| 5 | A | Fort Desoto - East BeachPinellas County, Florida | Florida | Pinellas | 0% | 328 |
| 6 | A | Public Access At 40th And Main St.Brunswick County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Brunswick | 0% | 327 |
| 7 | A | Public Access At Dawson Street - Ocean Isle BeachBrunswick County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Brunswick | 0% | 327 |
| 8 | A | Bay Vista ParkPinellas County, Florida | Florida | Pinellas | 0% | 319 |
| 9 | A | 10th Place West In Oak IslandBrunswick County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Brunswick | 0% | 318 |
| 10 | A | Elm's Beach - Public BeachSt. Mary's County, Maryland | Maryland | St. Mary's | 0% | 315 |
| 11 | A | Berkeley Township At South 23rd Ave IIIOcean County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Ocean | 0% | 240 |
| 12 | A | Amelia Island Plantation (AIP) Beach ClubNassau County, Florida | Florida | Nassau | 0% | 233 |
| 13 | A | Crescent BeachSt. Johns County, Florida | Florida | St. Johns | 0% | 223 |
| 14 | A | Westhaven State Park, Half Moon BayGrays Harbor County, Washington | Washington | Grays Harbor | 0% | 220 |
| 15 | A | Fort Desoto 1/2 Way B/N Fort & N. BeachPinellas County, Florida | Florida | Pinellas | 0% | 218 |
| 16 | A | Picnic Island NorthHillsborough County, Florida | Florida | Hillsborough | 0% | 218 |
| 17 | A | Westhaven State Park, South JettyGrays Harbor County, Washington | Washington | Grays Harbor | 0% | 215 |
| 18 | A | County Park EastEscambia County, Florida | Florida | Escambia | 0% | 210 |
| 19 | A | Hanaka‘O‘O Beach Co. Pk.Maui County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Maui | 0% | 204 |
| 20 | A | Icww, Soundside Access At E. End Of Ocean Isle Bch.Brunswick County, North Carolina | North Carolina | Brunswick | 0% | 203 |
| 21 | A | Blue Mountain Beach AccessWalton County, Florida | Florida | Walton | 0% | 187 |
| 22 | A | North Flagler PierFlagler County, Florida | Florida | Flagler | 0% | 181 |
| 23 | A | South BeachFlagler County, Florida | Florida | Flagler | 0% | 179 |
| 24 | A | Royal-Moana BeachHonolulu County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Honolulu | 0% | 174 |
| 25 | A | American BeachNassau County, Florida | Florida | Nassau | 0% | 169 |
| 26 | A | Summer BeachNassau County, Florida | Florida | Nassau | 0% | 169 |
| 27 | A | Public Access #34 - Ft Myers BeachLee County, Florida | Florida | Lee | 0% | 152 |
| 28 | A | Lualualei Beach Co. ParkHonolulu County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Honolulu | 0% | 145 |
| 29 | A | Kaiona Beach Co. ParkHonolulu County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Honolulu | 0% | 143 |
| 30 | A | Cotton BayouBaldwin County, Alabama | Alabama | Baldwin | 0% | 139 |
| 31 | A | Makapu'u Beach Co. ParkHonolulu County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Honolulu | 0% | 130 |
| 32 | A | Key Box Road Beach (Delaware Seashore State Park)Sussex County, Delaware | Delaware | Sussex | 0% | 129 |
| 33 | A | East Atlantic BeachNassau County, New York | New York | Nassau | 0% | 123 |
| 34 | A | Waimea Bay Beach Co. Pk.Honolulu County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Honolulu | 0% | 123 |
| 35 | A | Blackburn Point ParkSarasota County, Florida | Florida | Sarasota | 0% | 121 |
| 36 | A | Berkeley Township At North Ibsp 1 IIIOcean County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Ocean | 0% | 120 |
| 37 | A | Atlantic City At Maine AveAtlantic County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Atlantic | 0% | 119 |
| 38 | A | Lake Michigan BeachCharlevoix County, Michigan | Michigan | Charlevoix | 0% | 116 |
| 39 | A | Kanaha Beach (2)Maui County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Maui | 0% | 114 |
| 40 | A | Sunset Beach - Tarpon SpringsPinellas County, Florida | Florida | Pinellas | 0% | 110 |
| 41 | A | Third Beach, Neah BayClallam County, Washington | Washington | Clallam | 0% | 107 |
| 42 | A | Kahului HarborMaui County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Maui | 0% | 106 |
| 43 | A | Keewaydin IslandCollier County, Florida | Florida | Collier | 0% | 104 |
| 44 | A | Del Rey Beach State Recreation SiteClatsop County, Oregon | Oregon | Clatsop | 0% | 101 |
| 45 | A | Hull BaySt. Thomas Island County, U.S. Virgin Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands | St. Thomas Island | 0% | 97 |
| 46 | A | Avalon Borough At 39th StCape May County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Cape May | 0% | 96 |
| 47 | A | Seaside Park Borough At South 12th Ave IIOcean County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Ocean | 0% | 96 |
| 48 | A | Ship Bottom Borough At North 14th St IOcean County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Ocean | 0% | 95 |
| 49 | A | Mai Poina Oe Lau Beach Co. Pk.Maui County, Hawaii | Hawaii | Maui | 0% | 89 |
| 50 | A | Mantoloking Borough At Princeton North IOcean County, New Jersey | New Jersey | Ocean | 0% | 89 |
Grade labels: Excellent (A) through Failing (F). A letter is a multi-year bacteria record, not a same-day swim clearance.
Want a state-only list? Each state page ranks that state’s beaches the same way — start with beaches by state or best beaches in Florida. The inverse list — beaches whose samples exceed the limit most often — is beaches that flag advisories most.
State rankings on this list
Frequently Asked Questions
Bowman's Beach in Lee County, Florida currently ranks first among high-confidence Grade A beaches, with 0% of 687 bacteria samples over the EPA Beach Action Value.
A Beach Safety Grade of A means bacteria samples almost never exceeded the EPA Beach Action Value — Enterococcus 104 CFU/100 mL at saltwater and Great Lakes beaches, or E. coli 235 CFU/100 mL at other freshwater beaches. This list further requires a high-confidence grade: enough samples, more than one monitoring station, and recent results.
Of 3,000 graded beaches, 1,136 (38%) earn an A. The table shows the 50 with the strongest evidence and the lowest exceedance rates.
No. An A grade is a multi-year record, not a same-day clearance. Bacteria spike after heavy rain. Always check the official state or county advisory before you swim.
Know before you go
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