Which U.S. States Could Face the Highest Risk in a Hypothetical Global Conflict?

Behind the maps and models lies a sobering reality: vulnerability in a nuclear conflict is shaped less by fear than by infrastructure. States like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota are often spotlighted because they host key missile fields, making them more likely candidates for direct strikes in worst‑case planning exercises. Their geography has become part of the nation’s nuclear shield—and its potential bullseye.