How many states do not border an ocean?

Answer 1

unless the Gulf of Mexico or long island sound or the gulf of Maine is considered an ocean

there are in all 5 bordering the pacific & but 11 bordering the Atlantic Ocean proper

so in that case 34 do not border an ocean

but considering gulfs of oceans as if they were oceans

as some people might

then only 28 do not

& allowing even inland seas as oceans

as fewer people might

then so few as 27 states do not border an ocean

& finally

stretching inland seas into tidal estuaries

as hardly anyone might

26 states still would not qualify for this distinction

but in any case the distinction of bordering or not bordering an ocean is a bit artificial

because the states that do literally & visibly & unarguably border one also include a roughly 3 & a half mile band of that ocean within their territory

& their state borders extend correspondingly far out into the ocean

so

ultimately

even the 16 states that least arguably border an ocean still do not legally literally & littorally border it

but rather overlap & incorporate part of it within themselves

so from that viewpoint all 50 states do not border an ocean

Answer 2

unless the Gulf of Mexico or long island sound or the gulf of Maine is considered an ocean

there are in all 5 bordering the pacific & but 11 bordering the Atlantic Ocean proper

so in that case 34 do not border an ocean

but considering gulfs of oceans as if they were oceans

as some people might

then only 28 do not

& allowing even inland seas as oceans

as fewer people might

then so few as 27 states do not border an ocean

& finally

stretching inland seas into tidal estuaries

as hardly anyone might

26 states still would not qualify for this distinction

but in any case the distinction of bordering or not bordering an ocean is a bit artificial

because the states that do literally & visibly & unarguably border one also include a roughly 3 & a half mile band of that ocean within their territory

& their state borders extend correspondingly far out into the ocean

so

ultimately

even the 16 states that least arguably border an ocean still do not legally literally & littorally border it

but rather overlap & incorporate part of it within themselves

so from that viewpoint all 50 states do not border an ocean