Volcanic eruptions don’t occur only in faraway lands. The U.S. is dotted with active volcanoes poised to erupt at any minute. The U.S. Geological Survey points out there are 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, of which 500 have a recorded history of erupting, sending off rivers of lava and plumes of noxious gas. (These are the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.)
Of the total number, 161 are located in the U.S., mostly along the American portions of the so-called Ring (or Rim) of Fire, a seismically and volcanically active zone stretching along most of the Pacific Rim. That places the majority of the active volcanoes in the country in the Alaskan Aleutian volcanic chain, Hawaii, and California, Oregon, and Washington.
In fact, Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano has been spewing lava since 1983. But a major eruption in the spring of this year threw “320,000 Olympic-size swimming pools’ worth of molten rock from its eastern flank,” according to a report in the New York Times. The USGS continues to monitor flow at the volcano.
To identify the most dangerous volcanoes in the United States, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the overall threat score from the “2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment.” The most recent eruption year also came from the USGS. The population within 30 kilometers and 100 kilometers (about 18 and 30 miles, respectively), for each volcano was obtained from The Smithsonian Institution’s “Volcanoes of the World” database.
Click here to see the most dangerous volcanoes in America
The USGS ranks volcanoes into five threat categories: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The assessments account for the volcano’s eruptive activity and history as well as its geographic location. By that standard, 18 U.S. volcanoes classify as very high threat, with 11 of those located in Washington, Oregon, and California where they loom over large population centers. Alaska is home to five of the 18, owing to their presence near densely populated areas and important economic infrastructure. (See the most devastating volcanic eruptions in history.)
In addition, the USGS assigns each volcano an overall numerical threat score based on some 24 metrics assessing “a volcano’s hazard potential and exposure of people and property to those hazards (independent of any mitigation efforts or actions).” Our list includes only those volcanoes with a score of 100 or more.
31. Korovin Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 102
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 205
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 205
> Most recent eruption year: 2007
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30. Atka volcanic complex, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 102
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 207
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 207
> Most recent eruption year: 1812
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29. Mount Veniaminof, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 102
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 542
> Most recent eruption year: 2021
28. Trident Volcano, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 106
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 117
> Most recent eruption year: 1974
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27. Mount Martin, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 106
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 914
> Most recent eruption year: 1953
26. Mount Mageik, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 106
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 376
> Most recent eruption year: -500
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25. Mount Katmai, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 106
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 128
> Most recent eruption year: 1912
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24. Mono-Inyo Craters, California
> Overall threat score: 106
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 9,048
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 82,160
> Most recent eruption year: 1380
Source: krisbasonphotography / iStock via Getty Images
23. Hualālai, Hawaii
> Overall threat score: 109
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 46,959
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 166,240
> Most recent eruption year: 1801
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22. Aniakchak Crater, Alaskan Peninsula
> Overall threat score: 112
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 36
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 479
> Most recent eruption year: 1931
21. Yellowstone caldera, Wyoming
> Overall threat score: 115
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 234
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 20,692
> Most recent eruption year: -1350
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20. Iliamna Volcano, Cook Inlet, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 115
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 01
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 7,564
> Most recent eruption year: 1876
19. Mount Okmok, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 117
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 04
> Most recent eruption year: 2008
18. Long Valley Caldera, California
> Overall threat score: 129
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles):
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles):
> Most recent eruption year:
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Source: Dendron / iStock via Getty Images
17. Crater Lake, Oregon
> Overall threat score: 129
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 366
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 272,674
> Most recent eruption year: -2850
Source: CStorz / iStock via Getty Images
16. Mauna Loa, Hawaii
> Overall threat score: 131
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 1,906
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 175,315
> Most recent eruption year: 1984
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15. Glacier Peak, Washington
> Overall threat score: 135
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 23
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 1,340,896
> Most recent eruption year: 1700
Source: GlovTech / E+ via Getty Images
14. Mount Baker, Washington
> Overall threat score: 139
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 8,568
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 1,990,504
> Most recent eruption year: 1880
Source: traveler1116 / iStock via Getty Images
13. Newberry Volcano, Oregon
> Overall threat score: 146
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 16,437
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 180,091
> Most recent eruption year: 690
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Source: brytta / E+ via Getty Images
12. Augustine Volcano, Cook Inlet, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 151
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 759
> Most recent eruption year: 2006
11. Lassen volcanic center, California
> Overall threat score: 153
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 2,340
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 439,135
> Most recent eruption year: 1917
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10. Mount Spurr, Cook Inlet, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 161
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): Not available
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 11,097
> Most recent eruption year: 1992
9. Makushin Volcano, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 161
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 3,437
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 3,850
> Most recent eruption year: 1995
8. Akutan Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Overall threat score: Aleutian Islands, Alaska
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 233
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 4,361
> Most recent eruption year: 1992
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7. Three Sisters, Cascade Volcanic Arc, Oregon
> Overall threat score: 165
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 5,672
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 279,885
> Most recent eruption year: 440
Source: benedek / E+ via Getty Images
6. Mount Hood, Oregon
> Overall threat score: 178
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 9,721
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 2,067,520
> Most recent eruption year: 1866
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5. Mount Shasta, California
> Overall threat score: 178
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 19,785
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 265,016
> Most recent eruption year: 1250
4. Redoubt Volcano, Cook Inlet, Alaska
> Overall threat score: 201
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 01
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 32,410
> Most recent eruption year: 2009
3. Mount Rainier, Washington
> Overall threat score: 203
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 3,187
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 2,667,609
> Most recent eruption year: 1450
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Source: Tashka / iStock via Getty Images
2. Mount St. Helens, Washington
> Overall threat score: 235
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 2,221
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 2,173,101
> Most recent eruption year: 2008
Source: ademyan / iStock via Getty Images
1. Kīlauea, Hawaii
> Overall threat score: 263
> Population within 30 km (approx. 18 miles): 8,495
> Population within 100 km (approx. 30 miles): 169,550
> Most recent eruption year: 2021
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