There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home… especially when a movie was filmed right in your neck of the woods.
We’ve compiled a list of the best movies filmed in each state of the U.S. of A., then you’ll at least have a fun fact to share at your next office ice-breaker.
What were some of the best films shot in the U.S., on a state-by-state basis? Let’s run through the list, beginning alphabetically...
Alabama: Big Fish
Big Fish was filmed almost entirely in Montgomery, Alabama. This Tim Burton film was unique in its overall optimistic father-son story. The Heart of Dixie certainly has its crowning cinematic moment with this movie.
Alaska: Into the Wild
Sean Penn’s magnificent performance in Into the Wild was due in part to the realness of the set. The crew traveled to Alaska four times to shoot in this remote and snowy state to capture the scenery through each season.
Arizona: Raising Arizona
Many films have been shot in the deserts of Arizona including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Psycho, Planet of the Apes, Three Kings, and Forrest Gump. But one of the most iconic films that truly devoted the majority of its filming process to the state was Raising Arizona, a movie by the Coen brothers.
Arkansas: Sling Blade
While not many films have been shot in Arkansas, Billy Bob Thornton’s film, Sling Blade, is one-of-a-kind. This film has a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is quite simply a truly great film.
California: Chinatown
Roman Polanski’s Los Angeles-centric noir classic Chinatown, arguably one of the greatest movies ever made, tops the list for films shot in California. While the home of Hollywood certainly has its fair share of movies filmed within the state’s borders, Chinatown tops the list.
Connecticut: All About Eve
All About Eve has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, giving it the edge over the other close favorite Strangers on a Train. Other films shot in the Nutmeg State include The Town, Mystic Pizza, Revolutionary Road, and The Stepford Wives.
Delaware: Dead Poets Society
Only two movies on record have been shot in Delaware: Dead Poets Society and Failure to Launch, making the Robin William’s classic the clear winner.
Florida: Scarface
Many films have been shot in Florida, including The Godfather Part II, Edward Scissorhands, and Goldfinger. But nothing tops the Al Pacino classic, Scarface.
Georgia: Forrest Gump
While the majority of Forrest Gump was filmed in South Carolina, the iconic scene with Tom Hanks on the bus stop bench was filmed in Savannah, Georgia. The bench is still an iconic photo op today.
Hawaii: Jurassic Park
Many directors choose Hawaii for the backdrop of their big-budget films, but nothing was more iconic than the Jurassic Park films which really highlighted the beauty and mystery of the islands.
Idaho: Pale Rider
Clint Eastwood directed Pale Rider in his return to the director’s chair in the Boulder Mountains of Idaho.
Illinois: The Dark Knight
Chicago is frequently used as the city of choice for fictional movie cities like Gotham and Metropolis. The Dark Knight tops the list for Illinois, but it’s in good company with The Breakfast Club, High Fidelity, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Field of Dreams.
Indiana: A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own was a standout star of the sports film genre. Two fields in Indiana were featured in the movie, Bosse Field in Evansville and League Stadium (which the crew renovated) in Huntingburg.
Iowa: Field of Dreams
Another baseball film makes the list, this time, representing Iowa. In Field of Dreams the ghost of the main character’s father asks, “Is this heaven?” The response: “No. It’s Iowa.”
Kansas: Paper Moon
This film is literally about a road trip through the state of Kansas. The Depression-era story follows a Bible salesman and a young girl across the countryside.
Kentucky: Rain Man
While parts of this film were shot in both Ohio and Kentucky, the most emotionally charged scenes between Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were shot in the Bluegrass State.
Louisiana: The Big Easy
While it may seem surprising, the movies that feature scenes in New Orleans aren’t actually filmed there. The Big Easy, however, was named after and based around the energy and attitude of New Orleans.
Maine: The Man Without a Face
Mel Gibson’s directorial debut was set entirely in the great state of Maine, which tells the story of a teacher who was disfigured in a car accident and isolated himself until a child teaches him to open up again.
Maryland: The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project was a film that caused a lot of buzz. For the viewers who believed the footage to be real, they went chasing their own ghosts in Burkittsville, Maryland.
Massachusetts: Jaws
While Boston has given us plenty of iconic film scenes, the most important movie to come out of Massachusetts was by far Jaws, the most classic shark horror movie of all time.
Michigan: Gran Torino
Lots of edgy films have been shot in Michigan but one of the best is Clint Eastwood’s urban western, Gran Torino. Other films from Michigan are 8 Mile, The Evil Dead, and Road to Perdition.
Minnesota: Inside Llewyn Davis
While this film follows Oscar Isaac, a down-on-his-luck folk singer who road trips from the Big Apple to Chicago, it was actually filmed for the most part in snowy Minnesota, where the directors, the Coen brothers are from.
Mississippi: The Help
Nominated for four Academy Awards, The Help, took home one trophy for Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer’s performance as Minny Jackson.
Missouri: Gone Girl
Both the novel and the movie version of Gone Girl are set in Missouri. The psycho-sexual thriller is full of twists and turns starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.
Montana: The Untouchables
While much of Brian DePalma’s gangster thriller was filmed in Chicago, one of the most well-known scenes is set along the Missouri River in Montana. Other classic films have shot one-off scenes here as well, including Forrest Gump, The Shining, and Heaven’s Gate.
Nebraska: Nebraska
The film that shares the state’s name tells the tale of a father and son road trip that defines family, belief, and how to support loved ones as they age.
Nevada: The Godfather Part II
While the first film of the trilogy is set in New York, the second film has a handful of scenes in Nevada at iconic casinos and the scenic Lake Tahoe.
New Hampshire: The Thomas Crown Affair
New Hampshire hasn’t been the filming place for too many movies. The 1968 classic heist thriller, The Thomas Crown Affair, starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway.
New Jersey: On the Waterfront
This film, starring Marlon Brando, is actually regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, making it the obvious choice for NJ’s top film. It features dozens of different locations in the state.
New Mexico: Them!
Them! is an iconic monster flick with giant ants. Filmed in New Mexico, this film has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
New York: The Godfather
It was actually a struggle for Francis Ford Coppola to get the studio to agree to allow him to film The Godfather in New York, as it was far more pricey to shoot on location rather than on a Hollywood lot, but luckily, this wasn’t much of a worry upon the film’s release.
North Carolina: Bull Durham
The best sports films have stories that go beyond the game itself, like Bull Durham, the story of a career minor-leaguer facing retirement while he mentors a prospect. To little surprise, the movie was shot in Durham, North Carolina.
North Dakota: Fargo
Fargo was shot on location in the "Roughrider State”one of the only films to ever be shot here, and the third Coen brother film to make the list.
Ohio: The Shawshank Redemption
While the original story was set in Maine, this IMDB chart-topper was filmed at the Mansfield Reformatory in Ohio. Other films shot here were Air Force One and Tango & Cash.
Oklahoma: Two-Lane Blacktop
Two-Lane Blacktop, a coming-of-age road trip movie rating a sterling 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Sooner State makes an appearance partway into the film, when our main characters’ GTO is in need of a tune-up, pulling into a garage in Boswell, Oklahoma.
Oregon: The Shining
The classic horror film by Stanley Kubrick, while filmed in the creepy Overlook Hotel in England, the outside shots were filmed in Mount Hood, Oregon.
Pennsylvania: Rocky
What movie is more iconically relative to a city than Rocky? With the Philadelphia Museum of Art representing the film with its own statue of Rocky out front, this state’s got an easy choice.
Rhode Island: Lolita
Vladimir Nabokov’s troubling story, Lolita, was adapted to film by Stanley Kubrick in 1962. The story of an older man’s romantic involvement with a 16-year-old girl was filmed in numerous locations in Rhode Island, including Westerly Amtrak station.
South Carolina: The Abyss
James Cameron is known for his elaborate and creative vision when it comes to his films. For The Abyss, Cameron built a series of underwater stages in the Cherokee Nuclear Plant in Gaffney, South Carolina.
South Dakota: Dances With Wolves
The Oscar-winning Western, Dances With Wolves, that takes the title for the top film shot in the Cornhusker State, filmed at and around the Triple U Standing Butte Ranch, just outside of Pierre.
Tennessee: Cast Away
While the scenes of Tom Hanks stranded on an island were filmed in Fiji, he is welcomed back to the U.S. at the FedEx headquarters on-site in Memphis. Oddly enough, despite the brand plug, FedEx didn’t have to pay a cent for product placement in the film.
Texas: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
While this film was set in the fictional town of Endora, Iowa, it was actually shot in the town of Manor, Texas just east of Austin, and with two major stars appearing early in their careers, this quiet drama was quite a hit.
Utah:Â Thelma & Louise
Ridley Scott’s 1991 venture into the comedy world struck gold with Thelma & Louise. While it’s supposed to be set in New Mexico, it was actually filmed in Utah, just 50 miles southeast of Moab.
Vermont: Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is regarded as one of Tim Burton’s masterpieces. As for the small, rural town we see in Beetlejuice, it’s actually East Corinth, Vermont, although the house seen in the film was a facade built specially for the film.
Virginia: My Dinner With Andre
Although it claims to take place at now-famous Cafe des Artistes in New York City, My Dinner With Andre was actually shot in the repurposed Grand Ballroom of the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia.
Washington: 10 Things I Hate About You
Starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, the high school that was the central backdrop of the story was shot at Stadium High in Tacoma, Washington.
West Virginia: The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter gave audiences a visceral, honest look into the depths of war. While it was shot in West Virginia, it was shot to depict the blue-collar town of Clairton, Pennsylvania.
Wisconsin: The Straight Story
The film was shot along the actual route that Alvin Straight took for his own cross-country journey riding a John Deere tractor back in 1994, wrapping up in Mt. Zion, Wisconsin.
Wyoming: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
This Steven Spielberg classic sci-fi film was shot across a handful of states but Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower National Monument is the most recognizable location is the entire film.