Congressional Districts with the Most National Parks
In the time of social distancing, people have been reconnecting with outdoor spaces and activities. The United States National Park System contains approximately 131,000 square miles of public and private land managed by the government. That land is made up of parks, monuments, and other types of federally-designated preserved places. The largest of which is the majestic Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
Below, we map the total land area of National Parks and Sites by U.S. Congressional district.
Unsurprisingly, Alaska’s At-Large Congressional District contains the most land area for National Parks in the entire U.S. Alaska is home to nine out of the ten largest parks in the entire system including Denali and Gates of the Arctic. Alaska has been represented by Republican Don Young since 1973. The only park in the top ten largest not in Alaska is Death Valley, located in California’s 8th Congressional District, represented by Republican Paul Cook.
National Park Sites
In addition to parkland, the National Park system also manages hundreds of different sites with 19 different naming designations. This covers places like National Battlefields, National Historic Sites, National Seashores, and even the White House. Which Congressional Districts have the most National Park Sites? See the map and chart below.
The Congressional Districts with the most National Park Sites tend to be in the western U.S. in large districts such as Arizona’s 1st and New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. Arizona’s 1st contains the breathtaking Navajo National Monument. The district is represented by Democrat Tom O’Halleran.
We hope this inspires you to get out and enjoy the great outdoors near you. It should be noted that COVID-19 precautions vary based on state, local, or tribal rules depending on the park you plan on visiting. So you should always check ahead to see the status of your favorite National Park.
On the Cicero team, we maintain data on the U.S. Congressional Districts and love to write about political geography and data analysis. Find out what district you are in with our Elected Officials & Districts tool or contact us to learn more about political data analysis.
