Where Ticks Live
Different regions, different ticks
Lyme is concentrated in the Northeast and Upper Midwest — but ticks and the diseases they carry stretch coast to coast. Explore what's prevalent where you live, hike, or travel.
Tap or click a state to see the ticks and diseases common there.
Explore by region
Different parts of the country carry different ticks — and different diseases. Select a state or a region from the legend to see what's prevalent there and read the deep-dive guides.
Ranges overlap and are expanding. This is an educational overview, not a substitute for local public-health data.
The regions at a glance
Northeast & Mid-Atlantic
The epicenter of Lyme disease in the US — the blacklegged tick thrives here, carrying Lyme along with several coinfections.
Upper Midwest & Great Lakes
The second Lyme hotspot, and home to the newer Borrelia mayonii strain. Blacklegged ticks carry Lyme and its coinfections here too.
Southeast
Lone star tick country — driving ehrlichiosis, alpha-gal syndrome, and the Lyme-like STARI rash. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is also a real threat.
South-Central
A mix of lone star and dog ticks. High rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and tularemia — plus the emerging Heartland and Bourbon viruses.
West Coast
Lyme exists here too — carried by the western blacklegged tick, with risk concentrated in northern California and coastal areas rather than statewide.
Rocky Mountains & Mountain West
High-elevation tick country. The Rocky Mountain wood tick carries spotted fever and Colorado tick fever; soft ticks in rustic cabins spread relapsing fever.
Southwest & Border
The brown dog tick drives severe, sometimes fatal Rocky Mountain spotted fever outbreaks along the Arizona–Mexico border, hitting children especially hard.
Great Plains
Lower overall tick-borne disease burden, though dog ticks and expanding lone star and blacklegged ticks bring rising risk.
Found a tick? Not sure what it is?
Use the guided identifier to estimate the species, the diseases it can carry, and what to do next.
Educational overview only — tick ranges overlap and shift over time, and cases occur outside their usual regions. Read our disclaimer.