The States With the Most Winter-Olympic Gold Medals
Our team at The Sports Geek analyzed every Team USA Winter Olympic gold medal performance since 1924, ranking states by total gold medal performances attributed to athletes from each state.
Key Highlights:
- Minnesota leads all states with 45 gold medal performances, the highest total in U.S. Winter Olympic history.
- California, Massachusetts, and Michigan are tied for third all-time with 24 gold medal performances each.
- Michigan tied Minnesota for the most gold in 2026, with nine this year.
- Eric Heiden’s (Wisconsin) five gold medals in 1980 remain the most by an American at a single Winter Games.
The Top 5 US States With the Most Winter Olympic Gold Medals
With the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics now complete, Team USA has secured 126 gold medals in Winter Olympic history across team and individual events since the first Games in 1924. Not surprisingly, Team USA frequently draw good betting odds at at online Olympic sportsbooks.
The Sports Geek reviewed every Team USA Winter Olympic gold medal performance since 1924, including Milano-Cortina 2026, to determine which states have produced the most Winter Olympic gold. Gold medals were attributed to each athlete’s birth state, and for team events, every rostered gold medalist was counted toward their respective state. Totals were calculated through the conclusion of the 2026 Games.
#1 Minnesota — 45 Gold Medal Performances🏅❄️
Minnesota leads the nation with 45 gold-winning performances
A significant share of Minnesota’s gold medal performances have come in Olympic hockey. In 1960, eight Minnesotans were on the U.S. men’s team that won gold, and in 1980, 13 players from the state helped deliver the “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid. Minnesota also played a major role in U.S. women’s hockey gold in 1998 and 2018, before adding nine more gold medalists in 2026.
At the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, nine Minnesota-born athletes again stood on the podium, with five on the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team and four on the men’s roster, as both teams secured victories over Canada to win gold.
No other state has contributed more players to U.S. Olympic hockey gold medal teams.
#2 New York — 35 Gold Medal Performances 🏅❄️
New York ranks second among all U.S. states with 35 gold medal performances since 1924.
New York athletes have reached the top of the podium across multiple disciplines and eras. One of the state’s most accomplished Olympians is speed skater Bonnie Blair, who won five Olympic gold medals and remains the only woman to claim the 500m title at three consecutive Winter Games (1988, 1992, 1994).
Five New York athletes contributed to Team USA’s gold medal total at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Three were members of the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team, one competed on the men’s hockey roster, and freestyle skier Christopher Lillis added another gold medal performance.
#3 California, Massachusetts, Michigan — 24 Gold Medal Performances🏅❄️
California, Massachusetts, and Michigan are tied for third all-time, with 24 Winter Olympic gold medal performances each.
At this year’s games, Michigan delivered one of the strongest showings in the country, tying Minnesota for the most gold this year with nine. California recorded six gold medal performances, led by Alysa Liu’s victories in women’s singles and the team figure skating event. Massachusetts accounted for four gold totals, including contributions from both the men’s and women’s hockey teams.
#4 Illinois — 18 Gold Medal Performances 🏅❄️
Eighteen Winter Olympic gold medal performances rank Illinois fourth among U.S. states in Winter Olympic history.
The state’s success has historically come through speed skating, where athletes such as Dianne Holum and Shani Davis delivered multiple Olympic gold medals across different eras. Their performances helped establish Illinois as one of the country’s most productive Winter Olympic states outside the traditional hockey strongholds.
At the 2026 games, Illinois added two more gold medal performances to the list. Abbey Murphy and Tessa Janecke were members of the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team that defeated Canada in overtime to capture gold.
#5 Wisconsin — 17 Gold Medal Performances 🏅❄️
Wisconsin rounds out the top five with 17 Winter Olympic gold medal performances.
Much of that success has been driven by speed skating, which accounts for 11 of the state’s gold medals. The most iconic contributor is Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single Winter Games in U.S. history. His dominance across distances from 500m to 10,000m remains one of the defining performances in Olympic history.
Wisconsin’s presence on the Olympic podium continued at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Jordan Stolz added two gold medals in the men’s 500m and 1000m, reinforcing the state’s long-standing strength in speed skating.
Honorable Mentions: States Just Outside the Top 5
Several states narrowly miss the top five yet remain steady contributors to Team USA’s Winter Olympic gold medal total.
Colorado leads this next tier with nine gold medal performances. Connecticut and Ohio follow with eight each, while New Hampshire and Utah have recorded seven apiece.
Arizona, Idaho, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington have each contributed four gold medal performances.
Methodology
We reviewed every Winter Olympic gold medal performance by Team USA athletes since 1924. For each gold medal awarded, we recorded the athlete’s name, year, Games location, sport, and birthplace.
Gold medal performances were attributed to the athlete’s birthplace state. If an athlete won multiple gold medals in separate events, each gold medal performance was counted individually. In team events, every rostered gold medalist was counted as a separate gold medal performance for their respective state.
State totals were then calculated to determine which U.S. states have produced the most Team USA Winter Olympic gold medal performances through the conclusion of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games.
How Milano-Cortina 2026 Reshaped the Gold Medal Rankings
The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics reshaped the all-time gold medal leaderboard once again, with several states strengthening their positions through standout performances.
Minnesota extended its lead at the top, while Michigan tied for the most gold medal performances at the 2026 Games. California added key figure skating victories, and traditional speed skating states such as Wisconsin and Illinois continued to add to their totals.
For sports bettors, these trends matter. States with deep Olympic pipelines often signal where future medal contenders emerge, shaping odds markets well before the next Games begin. As legal sports betting continues to expand across the United States, historical production by state offers another lens through which to evaluate Team USA’s medal potential.
The next Winter Olympics will once again test which states can defend their place atop the gold medal rankings.
