The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.^[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.^[2] The United States accepted the convention on December 7, 1973.^[3] There are 25 World Heritage Sites in the United States, with a further 18 on the tentative list.^[3]

Yellowstone Mesa Verde Grand Canyon Everglades Independence Hall Redwood San Antonio Missions Mammoth Cave Olympic Cahokia Smoky Mountains Statue of Liberty Yosemite Chaco Monticello UVA Taos Pueblo Carlsbad Caverns Waterton-Glacier Poverty Point Unity Robie Taliesin Hollyhock Fallingwater Jacobs I Taliesin W. Guggenheim Hopewell There are 25 World Heritage Sites in the United States; 21 are single location sites, and 4 are multi-part sites encompassing several locations (the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, the only site with widely spaced properties, are in blue).
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Papahānaumokuākea Locations of World Heritage Sites in Hawaii	Wrangell–St. Elias Glacier Bay Locations of World Heritage Sites in Alaska	La Fortaleza San Juan NHS Locations of World Heritage Sites in Puerto Rico

The first sites in the United States added to the list were Mesa Verde National Park and Yellowstone National Park, both at the second session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Washington, D.C., in 1978.^[4] The most recent site listed is the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in 2023.^[3] The 25 sites are located in 22 states and two territories. Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania each contain multiple sites (with the Frank Lloyd Wright site spread across six states), while two sites are transboundary sites shared with Canada.^[3] Of the 25 sites, 12 are cultural, 12 are natural, and one, Papahānaumokuākea, is mixed, listed for both cultural and natural properties.^[3] One site is currently listed as endangered: Everglades National Park was listed in 2010 due to deterioration of its aquatic ecosystems. The site had also been listed as endangered between 1993 and 2007. Yellowstone National Park was listed as endangered between 1995 and 2003 because of planned mining operations.^[5] The United States has served as a member of the World Heritage Committee five times, 1976–1983, 1987–1993, 1993–1999, 1999–2001, and 2005–2009.^[3]

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.^[6]

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World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location (state)	Year listed	UNESCO data	Description
Mesa Verde National Park		Colorado	1978	27; iii (cultural)	The Mesa Verde plateau was occupied by the ancient Pueblo peoples between the 6th and 12th centuries. More than 4,000 archaeological sites have been discovered, including cliff dwellings. They range in size from small rooms to complexes containing more than 100 rooms. Notable examples include Cliff Palace (pictured), Balcony House, and Square Tower House.[7]
Yellowstone National Park		Wyoming, Montana, Idaho	1978	28; vii, viii, ix, x (natural)	Designated in 1872 as the world's first national park, Yellowstone covers almost 3,500 square miles (9,000 km2). It contains numerous geothermal features including over 300 geysers (more than half in the world), hot springs (Grand Prismatic Spring pictured), mudpots, and fumaroles. The area is rich in fossil deposits with nearly 150 species of plants identified. The park is home to large herds of bison, as well as grizzly bear and gray wolf. The park functions as a model system to understand the processes taking place in the ecosystem. The site was listed as endangered between 1995 and 2003 because of planned mining operations.[8]
Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek*		Alaska	1979	72ter; vii, viii, ix, x (natural)	The four national parks and protected areas spanning the border between the United States and Canada contain the world's largest non-polar ice field and numerous large glaciers. The area, shaped by glacial and continuous tectonic activity, comprises different types of habitats, from high mountains above 16,000 ft (5,000 m) to ocean, coastal forests, and river valleys. Some of the important animal species include grizzly bear, caribou, Dall sheep, and mountain goat. The rivers are spawning grounds for salmon that then migrate to the ocean. Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay (pictured) was originally listed alone in 1979. Kluane (in Canada) and Wrangell–St. Elias were added to the site in 1992, and Tatshenshini-Alsek (in Canada) in 1994.[9][10][11]
Grand Canyon National Park		Arizona	1979	75; vii, viii, ix, x (natural)	The Grand Canyon is a spectacular gorge that the Colorado River has carved during the last six million years while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. The canyon is 277 mi (446 km) long and up to 18 mi (29 km) wide. It reaches depths of up to 0.93 mi (1.5 km). The river has cut through geological strata spanning 2 billion years, from Precambrian to the Cenozoic, with the Precambrian and Paleozoic portions particularly well exposed and containing rich fossil assemblages. Due to its diverse topography, the area is home to numerous animal and plant species, from desert riparian to boreal forest communities.[12]
Everglades National Park†		Florida	1979	76; viii, ix, x (natural)	The Everglades comprises vast flat wetlands together with coastal and marine ecosystems. Habitats include tropical hardwood hammocks, mangrove forests, pine rocklands (example pictured), fresh and saltwater marshes, and seagrass beds. The area is home to the manatee, Florida panther, snail kite, alligator, and crocodile. The site was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1993 to 2007 due to sustained hurricane damage and deterioration of water flow and quality due to agricultural and urban development, and again in 2010 due to degradation of the property resulting in a loss of marine habitat and decline in marine species. It is also a Ramsar Wetland.[13][14]
Independence Hall		Pennsylvania	1979	78; vi (cultural)	The building was designed by Andrew Hamilton and completed in 1753 to house the colonial assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania. It was renovated several times afterwards. The original wooden steeple used to house the Liberty Bell. The Hall was the site of the Second Continental Congress, during which the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Following the American Revolution, the building held the Constitutional Convention that debated and signed the United States Constitution in 1787. Both documents have served as inspirations for lawmakers and government charters throughout the world.[15]
Redwood National and State Parks		California	1980	134; vii, ix (natural)	The site comprises one national and three state parks located along the coast of northern California. They are home to the largest contiguous forests of coast redwood trees, which are the tallest tree species on Earth. The park also contains areas of pristine coastline which is home to sea lion, bald eagle, and California brown pelican.[16]
Mammoth Cave National Park		Kentucky	1981	150; vii, viii, x (natural)	Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, with 426 mi (686 km)[17] of mapped passageways. The cave system is home to more than 130 cave-dwelling species. The cave system and the surrounding area exhibit numerous examples of karst topography, with sinkholes, underground rivers, speleothem, and large chambers. The system also has a great variety of sulfate minerals.[18]
Olympic National Park		Washington	1981	151; vii, ix (natural)	The park comprises diverse habitats, including the largest protected area of temperate rainforest in the region, long stretches of undeveloped Pacific coastline, alpine meadows, and mountain peaks covered with glaciers. The rivers are important habitats for several anadromous fish species. Due to relative isolation, the area is home to several endemic species or subspecies. Some of the important species include the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and bull trout.[19]
Cahokia		Illinois	1982	198; iii, iv (cultural)	Cahokia was the largest and most important urban settlement of the Mississippian culture and is the largest pre-Columbian archaeological site north of Mexico. The society reached its peak between 1050 and 1150, when it was estimated to have a population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The site includes some 120 mounds, including the Monks Mound (pictured), the largest prehistoric earthen structure in the Americas. The site also includes the Woodhenge, believed to serve as an astronomical observatory. The layout of the settlement demonstrates the existence of political and economic hierarchy of the society.[20]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park		North Carolina, Tennessee	1983	259; vii, viii, ix, x (natural)	The park is a refuge of the flora and fauna from the diverse Arcto-Tertiary Geoflora era that has survived the Quaternary glaciations. It is a biodiversity hotspot, containing over 3,500 plant species and numerous animal species, including one of the world's greatest variety of salamanders, in particular lungless salamanders.[21]
La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico		Puerto Rico[lower-alpha 1]	1983	266bis; vi (cultural)	The 16th-century fortress La Fortaleza (pictured) and the later fortifications of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, Castillo de San Cristóbal, El Cañuelo, and the City Wall of San Juan, dating between the 16th and 20th centuries, were constructed by the Europeans to protect the bay and the city of San Juan. They incorporate architectural elements of Italian Renaissance, Baroque, and French Enlightenment, and they demonstrate the evolution and adaptation of European military architecture to the setting of a Caribbean island. A minor boundary modification took place in 2016.[22]
Statue of Liberty		New York	1984	307; i, vi (cultural)	The statue, inaugurated in 1886, was a gift from France to commemorate the centenary of American independence. It was designed by Frédéric Bartholdi in collaboration with engineer Gustave Eiffel, and its construction, with a metal frame supporting the skin, use of concrete at the base, and electricity to power the torch, was seen as a harbinger of a new era. The statue is located at the entrance to the New York Harbor where it has welcomed millions of migrants. It symbolizes ideas such as liberty, peace, and human rights. [23]
Yosemite National Park		California	1984	308; vii, viii (natural)	The park is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. During the Quaternary glaciation, the glaciers created unique landscape features in the granite bedrock, such as valleys, cliffs, domes, moraines, and waterfalls. There are mountain meadows and Giant Sequoia groves. Picture shows the Tunnel View of the Yosemite Valley, with the landforms Half Dome and El Capitan visible.[24]
Chaco Culture		New Mexico	1987	353rev; iii (cultural)	Chaco Canyon was a major center of the Ancestral Puebloans and was occupied between 850 and 1250, with the peak between about 1020 and 1110. Living in a harsh environment, the highly-organized society constructed monumental structures, "great houses", that had residential, storage, and ceremonial functions. Based on the size, it was likely a regional center of the Four Corners area. The great kiva at Chetro Ketl is pictured. The World Heritage Site also includes the ruins at the Aztec Ruins National Monument and some smaller sites.[25]
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park		Hawaii	1987	409; viii (natural)	The park on the island of Hawaii is home to Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active and among the best studied volcanoes in the world. Mauna Loa reaches 13,680 ft (4,170 m) above the sea level, but measured from the ocean floor, it is the world's greatest volcanic mass. The landscape of the park is being constantly shaped and changed by the frequent volcanic eruptions. The park is home to rare bird species and a forest of giant ferns. A lava flow is pictured.[26]
Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville		Virginia	1987	442bis; i, iv, vi (cultural)	Monticello (built between 1769 and 1809, pictured) was designed by Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, as his plantation home. Jefferson also designed (1817–26) the early buildings that made up the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, based on his idea of an ideal "academical village". The Rotunda is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. The buildings are prominent examples of neoclassical architecture.[27]
Taos Pueblo		New Mexico	1992	492; iv (cultural)	Taos Pueblo is the largest of the Pueblos established along the Rio Grande and its tributaries in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. It has been continuously inhabited since and is an important example of a culture retaining most of its Pre-Columbian traditions. The settlement consists of two multi-story adobe buildings, ceremonial kivas, a Catholic church, and ruins of previous buildings.[28]
Carlsbad Caverns National Park		New Mexico	1995	721; vii, viii (natural)	The park contains over 100 karst caves, including Carlsbad Caverns (interior pictured) and Lechuguilla Cave. The latter exhibits rare and unique speleothems, including those made of gypsum. Formations also include helictites, calcite structures, and biothems, the formation of which is assisted by bacteria. The caves formed in the Capitan Reef complex during the Permian period, thus allowing researchers to study the ancient reef both from inside and from the exposed parts in the canyon outside.[29]
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park*		Montana	1995	354rev; vii, ix (natural)	This site comprises the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and the Glacier National Park in the US. Both parks are known for their outstanding scenic beauty due to mountains and glacial landforms. The park straddles the Continental Divide and includes the Triple Divide Peak. The mountains meet the prairie without intervening foothills and the geography allowed the animal and plant species typical of Pacific Northwest to spread inland. This resulted in a high number of animal and plant species present on a small area. Saint Mary Lake is pictured.[30]
Papahānaumokuākea		Hawaii and United States Minor Outlying Islands[lower-alpha 2]	2010	1326; iii, vi, viii, ix, x (mixed)	Papahānaumokuākea, the world's largest marine protected area, is located west of the main Hawaiian Islands. It stretches over some 1,200 mi (1,930 km) and covers a number of small islands, atolls, and seamounts, together with the surrounding ocean. They illustrate the progression of the Hawaii hotspot. The terrestrial and marine habitats are home to numerous bird, fish, seal, coral, and plant species, with many of them endemic. The islands are regarded with traditional significance for living Native Hawaiian culture, with archaeological sites in the islands of Nihoa and Makumanamana dating before the European contact. Heterocentrotus mamillatus, a sea urchin, is pictured.[31]
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point		Louisiana	2014	1435; iii (cultural)	The vast earthen complex at Poverty Point was constructed between 1700 and 1100 BCE, during the Late Archaic Period. It was created by a foraging society of fishermen-hunter-gatherers, instead of a settled agricultural society. The complex consists of semi-elliptical ridges with a central plaza, and several mounds. It was used for residential and ceremonial purposes. It was also a center of a vast trade network, extending hundreds of kilometers to supply stone and minerals. This level of earthen construction was not surpassed in North America for another 2,000 years.[32]
San Antonio Missions		Texas	2015	1466; ii (cultural)	The site comprises five frontier mission complexes, constructed in the 18th century by Spanish Franciscan missionaries, as well as a nearby ranch. The missions were built along the San Antonio River in order to spread religion, to colonize the area, and to defend the frontier. They demonstrate the cultural interactions between the Spanish and the Coahuiltecan and other hunter-gatherer groups, who became settled agriculturalists within the time of one generation. The decorative elements in the churches represent a blend of Catholic and indigenous motifs. Mission Espada is pictured.[33]
The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright		Arizona, California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin	2019	1496rev; ii (cultural)	This site comprises eight buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the first half of the 20th century. Wright developed the concept of "organic architecture", the architecture that responds to the setting and the needs of the users. His style was marked by the novel uses of materials such as steel and concrete. The buildings listed include residential buildings (Fallingwater pictured), a church, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Wright's work influenced architects worldwide.[34]
Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks		Ohio	2023	1689; i, iii (cultural)	The site comprises a series of features of the Hopewell culture from the Woodland period of the first millennium CE. They constructed large-scale ceremonial earthworks, such as mounds and walls in geometric designs. Fort Ancient is an example of a hilltop fort. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park comprises five sites (Mound City with more than 30 mounds pictured) with walls in shapes of squares and circles. The Newark Earthworks contain some large enclosures. Excavations at the sites uncovered several finely crafted objects from materials that were obtained by travel to areas as far as the Yellowstone basin.[35]

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In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.^[36] The United States lists 18 properties on its tentative list.^[3]

• Tourism in the United States