Lake Erie is bordered by Ontario and four U.S. states: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
This gives Erie one Canadian jurisdiction and the largest number of U.S. state jurisdictions among the five Great Lakes. The lake forms a broad international boundary and supports major ports, cities, fisheries, farms, and industrial corridors along its shores.
Its western basin is shared especially closely by Ontario, Michigan, and Ohio. Detroit and Toledo lie near the western end, while Buffalo stands at the eastern end near the head of the Niagara River. The lake’s shallow depth makes it environmentally sensitive, and agricultural runoff has contributed to recurring harmful algal blooms.
Lake Erie is sometimes confused with Lake Ontario because the two are linked by the Niagara River. Ontario has one Canadian province and two U.S. states on its shores, while Erie has one province and four states. That jurisdictional pattern makes Erie distinctive among the Great Lakes.