Largest Mines in America
The largest mines in the United States employ thousands of workers and produce the raw materials that drive the national economy. The MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration tracks employee counts for all regulated mine operations. The table below ranks the largest active mines by number of employees.
These numbers reflect the most recent MSHA data and include both surface and underground operations. Employee counts can fluctuate with commodity prices, seasonal demand, and operational changes. Large mining operations are concentrated in states with significant mineral resources, including Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and West Virginia.
100 Largest Active Mines
| Mine | State | County | Commodity | Type | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport-McMoran Morenci Inc. | Arizona | Greenlee | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 5,870 |
| Freeport-McMoran Bagdad Inc | Arizona | Yavapai | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 1,386 |
| South Area | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Surface | 1,200 |
| Stillwater Mine | Montana | Stillwater | Platinum Group Ore | Underground | 1,123 |
| North Antelope Rochelle Mine | Wyoming | Campbell | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 1,099 |
| Freeport-McMoran Sierrita Ops. | Arizona | Pima | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 1,074 |
| Freeport-McMoran Safford Inc | Arizona | Graham | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 1,071 |
| Cortez District | Nevada | Lander | Gold Ore | Surface | 974 |
| River View Mine | Kentucky | Union | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 890 |
| Bingham Canyon Mine | Utah | Salt Lake | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 876 |
| Tilden Mine | Michigan | Marquette | Iron Ore | Surface | 860 |
| Marshall County Mine | West Virginia | Marshall | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 840 |
| We Soda @ Westvaco | Wyoming | Sweetwater | Trona | Underground | 815 |
| Haile Gold Mine | South Carolina | Lancaster | Gold Ore | Underground | 814 |
| Mt Pass Mine & Mill | California | San Bernardino | Rare Earths Ore | Surface | 790 |
| Minntac Plant | Minnesota | St. Louis | Iron Ore | Facility | 790 |
| Pogo Mine | Alaska | Southeast Fairbanks | Gold Ore | Underground | 749 |
| Pinto Valley Mine | Arizona | Gila | Construction Sand and Gravel | Surface | 728 |
| Buchanan Mine #1 | Virginia | Buchanan | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 705 |
| Hibbing Taconite Company | Minnesota | St. Louis | Iron Ore | Surface | 700 |
| Smoky Valley Common Operations | Nevada | Nye | Gold Ore | Surface | 698 |
| Bailey Mine | Pennsylvania | Greene | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 677 |
| Lee Creek Mine | North Carolina | Beaufort | Phosphate Rock | Surface | 676 |
| No 7 Mine | Alabama | Jefferson | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 675 |
| Fort Knox Mine | Alaska | Fairbanks North Star | Gold Ore | Surface | 665 |
| Ray Mine | Arizona | Gila | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 630 |
| Boron Operations | California | Kern | Boron Minerals | Surface | 624 |
| Robinson Operation | Nevada | White Pine | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 612 |
| Meikle Mine | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Underground | 605 |
| Mlc - Ste. Genevieve | Missouri | Ste Genevieve | Lime | Underground | 586 |
| Tyrone Mine | New Mexico | Grant | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 585 |
| Leeville | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Underground | 552 |
| Tata Chemicals Mine | Wyoming | Sweetwater | Trona | Underground | 539 |
| Bald Mountain Mine | Nevada | White Pine | Gold Ore | Surface | 530 |
| Cumberland Mine | Pennsylvania | Greene | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 530 |
| Bloomfield Plant | Missouri | Stoddard | Common Clays NEC | Surface | 520 |
| Red Dog Operations | Alaska | Northwest Arctic | Lead-Zinc Ore | Surface | 520 |
| Enlow Fork Mine | Pennsylvania | Washington | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 518 |
| Marion County Mine | West Virginia | Marion | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 518 |
| Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Com | Colorado | Teller | Gold Ore | Surface | 514 |
| Four Corners | Florida | Polk | Phosphate Rock | Surface | 500 |
| Gramercy Operation | Louisiana | St. James | Alumina | Facility | 500 |
| Oak Grove Mine | Alabama | Jefferson | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 499 |
| Freedom Mine | North Dakota | Mercer | Coal (Lignite) | Surface | 497 |
| Phoenix Mine | Nevada | Lander | Gold Ore | Surface | 495 |
| Leer Mine | West Virginia | Taylor | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 487 |
| Bear Run Mine | Indiana | Sullivan | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 475 |
| Mosaic Potash Carlsbad Inc | New Mexico | Eddy | Potash | Underground | 467 |
| Ohio County Mine | West Virginia | Marshall | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 462 |
| Tunnel Ridge Mine | West Virginia | Ohio | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 461 |
| American Soda Llc | Wyoming | Sweetwater | Trona | Underground | 457 |
| Turquoise Ridge | Nevada | Humboldt | Gold Ore | Underground | 455 |
| Twin Creeks Mine | Nevada | Humboldt | Gold Ore | Surface | 450 |
| Mission/san Xavier/eisenhower | Arizona | Pima | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 447 |
| East Boulder Mine | Montana | Sweet Grass | Platinum Group Ore | Underground | 446 |
| Hycroft Mine | Nevada | Humboldt | Gold Ore | Surface | 440 |
| Big Island Mine & Refinery | Wyoming | Sweetwater | Trona | Underground | 437 |
| Minntac Mine | Minnesota | St. Louis | Iron Ore | Surface | 430 |
| Antelope Coal Mine | Wyoming | Converse | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 430 |
| Cardinal | Kentucky | Hopkins | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 427 |
| No 4 Mine | Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 420 |
| Sufco | Utah | Sevier | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 419 |
| Falkirk Mine | North Dakota | McLean | Coal (Lignite) | Surface | 410 |
| Hecla Greens Creek Mine | Alaska | Juneau | Silver Ore | Underground | 410 |
| Black Thunder | Wyoming | Campbell | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 408 |
| Shoal Creek Mine | Alabama | Walker | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 403 |
| Henderson County Mine | Kentucky | Union | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 403 |
| Skyline Mine #3 | Utah | Carbon | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 403 |
| Harrison County Mine | West Virginia | Wetzel | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 400 |
| Kensington | Alaska | Juneau | Gold Ore | Underground | 400 |
| Deep Mine 41 | Virginia | Dickenson | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 397 |
| Goldstrike Mine | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Surface | 390 |
| Oaktown Fuels Mine No. 1 | Indiana | Knox | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 388 |
| Continental Mine | Montana | Silver Bow | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 388 |
| Mountaineer Ii Mine | West Virginia | Logan | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 380 |
| Henderson Operations | Colorado | Clear Creek | Molybdenum Ore | Underground | 373 |
| Lucky Friday | Idaho | Shoshone | Silver Ore | Underground | 372 |
| Gibson South | Indiana | Gibson | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 365 |
| Longview Mine | West Virginia | Barbour | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 363 |
| Cortez District-Underground | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Underground | 360 |
| Navajo Mine | New Mexico | San Juan | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 357 |
| Goldrush | Nevada | Eureka | Gold Ore | Underground | 351 |
| Main Processing Plant | Georgia | Washington | Kaolin and Ball Clay | Facility | 347 |
| Road Fork #52 Mine | West Virginia | Wyoming | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 345 |
| Mine No. 1 | Illinois | Hamilton | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 342 |
| Minorca Mine | Minnesota | St. Louis | Iron Ore | Surface | 340 |
| Northshore Mining Company | Minnesota | Lake | Iron Ore | Facility | 335 |
| Beckley Pocahontas Mine | West Virginia | Raleigh | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 335 |
| Kosse Strip | Texas | Limestone | Coal (Lignite) | Surface | 334 |
| Harvey Mine | Pennsylvania | Greene | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 325 |
| Chino Mines Co Mine | New Mexico | Grant | Copper Ore NEC | Surface | 322 |
| Climax Mine | Colorado | Lake | Molybdenum Ore | Surface | 315 |
| Marigold Mine | Nevada | Humboldt | Gold Ore | Surface | 304 |
| Florida Canyon Mine | Nevada | Pershing | Gold Ore | Surface | 300 |
| Leer South Mine | West Virginia | Barbour | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 300 |
| Lively Grove Mine | Illinois | Washington | Coal (Bituminous) | Underground | 293 |
| Rosebud Mine & Crusher/conveyor | Montana | Rosebud | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 290 |
| Rochester Mine | Nevada | Pershing | Silver Ore | Surface | 290 |
| Workman Creek Surface | West Virginia | Raleigh | Coal (Bituminous) | Surface | 290 |
| San Miguel Lignite Mine | Texas | Atascosa | Coal (Lignite) | Surface | 287 |
Largest Mine by State
The table below shows the single largest active mine in each state, measured by employee count.