# How close do you live to "the coast"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 6, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551 "2006-08-06T12:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/1 "2006-08-06T12:35:39Z")
In miles (feet if it’s that close) how far do you live from an ocean, gulf, sea, or other salt water body of water, not counting The Great Salt Lake or other “inland seas”? Don’t count the Great Lakes. It must have a coast and not just a shore or bank. I’m at least 400 miles, closer to 500. And it would be the Gulf of Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/2 "2006-08-06T12:40:02Z")
Just curious… what’s the difference between a “coast” and a shore or a bank? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/3 "2006-08-06T12:50:57Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Just curious… what’s the difference between a “coast” and a shore or a bank? Good question. The distinction I was hoping for was that a “coast” refers to the “seashore” where a shore or bank might refer equally well to a lake or river or other freshwater body. The main point is that oceans are where “coast” usually applies – at least to me. If your usage allows “shore” or “bank” for the land near the edge of an ocean, or sea, and that ocean or sea has salt water, then there’s no big difference as far as this thread is concerned. Sorry for any confusion. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/4 "2006-08-06T12:54:04Z")
About 60 miles, as the gull flies. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/5 "2006-08-06T12:55:06Z")
Right now, I’m in the middle of the Caspian Sea. Maybe 50 miles from the coast. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/6 "2006-08-06T13:00:25Z")
Less than a mile, as the pigeon flies. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/7 "2006-08-06T13:03:14Z")
About a quarter mile from the Gulf. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/8 "2006-08-06T13:04:24Z")
I’m about 15 miles from the mouth of Charleston Harbor and 25 from Folly Beach. I’d be there all the time if gas wasn’t so durned expensive and it didn’t feel like the oxygen around me was melting… -Nawth Chucka, whose arms are tan while her legs are still Michigan White ™. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/9 "2006-08-06T13:05:07Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > Right now, I’m in the middle of the Caspian Sea. Maybe 50 miles from the coast. Does that count? Amazing! Sure, it counts – in a negative way, I suppose. Beautiful reply. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/10 "2006-08-06T13:07:13Z")
I’m about 40 miles from the coast of Lake Michigan (if I go to Chicago). Maybe closer if I approach at a different point. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/11 "2006-08-06T13:08:54Z")
Less than a mile, unless you’re looking for a beach. I can see ocean from the end of my driveway. When I’m in Halifax it’s a bit more, but still pretty close, the city being right on the coast. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/12 "2006-08-06T13:18:24Z")
Up until my move earlier this summer, had lived my whole life about four miles from the beach. Now I’m about 30 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/13 "2006-08-06T13:23:52Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I’m about 40 miles from the coast of Lake Michigan (if I go to Chicago). Maybe closer if I approach at a different point. Is it safe to say you’re like 800-900 miles from the Gulf? The Great Lakes don’t count, please (see OP). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/14 "2006-08-06T13:27:40Z")
A little over 20 miles. Despite having lived many places, I’ve never lived more than an hour from the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/15 "2006-08-06T13:31:25Z")
Until we moved in June, we were about a half-mile from the Chesapeake Bay. Our move puts us about 3 miles as the crow flies. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/16 "2006-08-06T13:37:27Z")
> [@Jayn\_Newell](#): > > Less than a mile, unless you’re looking for a beach. Ditto that part. I work ~ 500 yards from the beach, unless I’m on the water. (Oceanographer) ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/17 "2006-08-06T13:41:56Z")
I live about 9 miles from Puget Sound and 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/18 "2006-08-06T13:46:15Z")
I’m about 4 miles from actual salt water, but a few hundred yards from Lake Washington, which is connected to Lake Union by the Montlake Cut (aka the Lake Washington Ship Canal), which is connected to Puget Sound by the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (aka the Balard Locks) If the Great Lakes are out, why is the Caspian Sea ok? It’s actually a lake. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/19 "2006-08-06T13:55:06Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > If the Great Lakes are out, why is the Caspian Sea ok? It’s actually a lake. Good point. I’ll display my ignorance here: is the Caspian Sea fresh water? If not (=salt water) then I guess it’s being a lake is a side issue. Great Salt Lake is similar, isn’t it? Let’s say this: if it’s salty, it’s okay. If not, for purposes of this thread only, it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551/20 "2006-08-06T14:07:34Z")
Looks to be a pretty solid 1000 miles to L.A. And about 1200 to Houston. [sub]I do have a little mountain spring/stream running in my yard though[/sub] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-do-you-live-to-the-coast/367551.md?page=2)