Native American Reservations by State 2023

Throughout the United States, there are 567 federally recognized Native American reservations. Depending on the state, these lands are called reservations, rancherías (California), Pueblos (New Mexico), or Indian colonies (Nevada).

While these reservations are not populated solely by tribal members, their national membership is a little over 5 million people.

Where Are Reservations Located?

The highest concentration of Native American reservations can be found in the western United States. California alone has 103 reservations that are recognized by the federal government. Some of these reservations have no residents, but the total amount of residents on reservations within the state is over 55,000.

Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico also are populated by large numbers of Native American reservations. Nevada and New Mexico have 22 while Arizona has 21. Some reservations cross state lines so they are located in multiple states. Arizona alone has a reservation population of over 262,000.

Other states with at least ten Native American reservations include Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Washington. The western states include tribal lands of the Northern Paiute, Coquille, and Umpqua tribes among others. Midwestern states are home to mostly the Ojibwe tribe along with the Potawatomi.

Multiple Native American tribal reservations can also be found in Iowa, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Utah, South Dakota, Florida, Montana, and New York. Alaska, South Carolina, Idaho, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Alabama, North Carolina, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming all have one Native American reservation located within the state.

Beyond these federally-recognized reservations, eleven states have recognized tribal land on the state level as well.

Most Populated American Reservations

The largest Native American reservation is the Navajo Reservation. Its 16 million acres of land are located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. This is also the most populated Native American reservation with approximately 169,000 residents. The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and Nebraska is the second most populous at about 16,000 residents. Fort Apache Reservation and the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona and the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma round out the top five most populated Native American reservations.

Navajo Nation

The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation, consisting of 169,321 residents. The reservation is located in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico and covers 17.5 million acres. By area, this Native American reservation is larger than ten different US states. The territory was acquired in 1848 after the United States won it as a prize from the US-Mexico War.

Pine Ridge Reservation

Straddled between South Dakota and Nebraska, Pine Ridge Reservation is home to 16,906 Native Americans. This reservation is the second-largest territory in the United States. Part of this reservation was originally included in the Great Sioux Reservation, but a treaty in 1889 separated the area into an independent and separate reservation.

Fort Apache Reservation

Located in Arizona, the Fort Apache Reservation is home to 13,014 Native Americans. The majority of the residents in this reservation are from the federally recognized White Mountain Apache tribe. This group of Native Americans is typically found in the western Apache tribe regions.

Gila River Indian Reservation

As the fourth most significant Native American Reservation, the Gila River Indian Reservation is home to 11,251 Native Americans. The reservation is located in Arizona. The reservation area is positioned right next to Phoenix, making it very close to a metro area. The Gila River Indian Reservation was established in 1859 and is made up of seven different districts and several independent communities within the reservation borders.

Osage Reservation

Located in Oklahoma, the Osage Reservation is home to 9,920 Native Americans. This reservation is mostly made up of Native Americans from the Great Plains, established about 800 BC. The Osage tribe that lives on the reservation moved there from Kansas in the 19th century. The reservation is open to visitors and welcomes people to their reservation.