US Auto Plants by State: Who Builds What and Where

Light vehicles sold in the US are assembled in about 50 major plants spread across 15 states, with Michigan home to the most, followed by Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee and Indiana. Detroit’s three automakers cluster in the Midwest, while Japanese, Korean and German brands mostly build in the South, from Texas to South Carolina.

The table below lists the main assembly plants and the models they build as of November 2026, from automaker announcements and plant pages. Lineups change with every model year, so treat the model column as a guide rather than a complete list.

Which car plants are in each state?

Plants are grouped by state. “Main models” are the vehicles most associated with each plant for the 2026 and 2027 model years; some plants also build police, commercial or export versions.

The list leaves out engine, transmission and stamping plants, and plants that build only heavy trucks or buses. It also leaves out sites still under construction, such as Rivian’s Georgia plant and Scout Motors’ plant in South Carolina, until they build vehicles for sale.

Which state builds the most cars?

Michigan has the most assembly plants in the table, 12, spread across GM, Ford and Stellantis. Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee follow with four each.

Plant count is not the same as output. A single truck plant running three shifts can build more vehicles in a year than two smaller car plants, and several Southern plants run near capacity on popular crossovers. Our guide to the most American-made cars ranks models by US assembly and parts content instead.

Where do foreign brands build cars in the US?

Mostly in the Southeast and lower Midwest. Toyota builds in Kentucky, Indiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama; Honda in Ohio, Indiana and Alabama; Hyundai and Kia in Alabama and Georgia; BMW, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz vans in South Carolina; Nissan in Tennessee and Mississippi; Subaru in Indiana; and Volkswagen in Tennessee.

A foreign brand built in a US plant counts as US assembly for tariffs and for the federal car loan interest deduction. The VIN of a US-built Toyota or BMW starts with 1, 4 or 5, just like a Ford’s. Our guide on where your car was built shows how to read the plant code.

What changed at EV and battery plants in 2025 and 2026?

Several automakers moved plants planned for EVs back to gas trucks or hybrids after federal EV tax credits ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. The main shifts:

• Ford, December 2025: per Ford’s December 15, 2025 announcement, current F-150 Lightning production ended; the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center was renamed Tennessee Truck Plant and will build gas trucks from 2029; Louisville Assembly will build a midsize electric pickup from 2027; Ohio Assembly will add a gas and hybrid commercial van from 2029.
• Ford batteries: the Glendale, Kentucky battery plant is being converted to energy storage systems, SK On takes full ownership of the Tennessee battery plant, and BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall is due to start LFP cell production in 2026.
• GM Orion: originally planned for EVs, the plant is slated to build gas Escalades and light-duty pickups starting in 2027.
• Stellantis Belvidere: idle since 2023; Stellantis has said it expects to reopen the plant in 2027 with a new vehicle, and dropped the battery plant once planned there.
• Hyundai Metaplant: the Georgia plant builds the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 next to a battery plant under construction with LG Energy Solution.

Plans like these depend on demand and policy, so check the latest automaker release before relying on a launch year.

How many people work at US auto plants?

Hundreds of thousands. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes monthly employment for automotive industry categories, separating vehicle assembly from parts makers, which employ more people than the assembly plants themselves.

At GM, Ford and Stellantis plants, hourly workers are covered by the UAW contract; most foreign-brand plants in the South are not unionized, though Volkswagen’s Chattanooga workers voted to join the UAW in 2024. Our explainer on the UAW contract covers wages and the expiration date.

Bottom line

The US auto industry is split between Detroit-brand plants in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky and foreign-brand plants across the South. For any single car, the window sticker or VIN tells you the exact plant, and plant plans for EVs have shifted enough since 2025 that the latest company release is the source to trust.

FAQ

Does Toyota build cars in the US?

Yes. Toyota assembles vehicles in Kentucky, Indiana, Texas and Mississippi, and in Alabama through its joint venture with Mazda. Models include the Camry, RAV4, Highlander, Sienna, Tundra, Corolla and Corolla Cross.

Where is the Ford F-150 built?

At Dearborn Truck in Michigan and Kansas City Assembly in Claycomo, Missouri. The electric F-150 Lightning built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center ended production in 2025, with an extended-range version planned there.

Are any Tesla cars built outside the US for the US market?

Teslas sold in the US come from Fremont, California, and Austin, Texas. Tesla’s plants in China and Germany supply other markets.

Is there a federal list of every car plant?

NHTSA’s yearly American Automobile Labeling Act reports list the final assembly point for each model sold, which is the closest official source. They are organized by model rather than by plant.