Most Dangerous Spiders Lurking in the U.S.

The most dangerous spiders in the U.S. are guaranteed to spook even the bravest person who might cross one's path.

Spiders are fascinating creatures that play a crucial part in our ecosystem, serving as predators of other insects while simultaneously being prey for many birds and lizards.

But let’s be honest: Spiders are also creepy. And the most dangerous spiders in the U.S. are guaranteed to spook even the bravest person who might cross one’s path. That’s because, at best, they’re big, and at worst, their bite can be deadly. Just see what we mean…

Hobo Spider

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Location: Pacific Northwestern U.S.

Size: About 1 centimeter

Hobo spiders come by their name honestly, being found along railroad tracks in the Pacific Northwest. While their venom can take down prey, their bite is actually painless for a human.

Like most spiders, they are often hiding in dark, damp places with cracks or holes that can accommodate their funnel-shaped webs that trap bugs.

Black Widow Spider

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Location: Northeastern U.S.

Size: About 1 centimeter

On the other end of the dangerous spider spectrum is the Black Widow — considered North America’s most venomous spider with a bite 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. But only the females pose a threat to humans, hence the name “widow,” and they can be identified by the red hourglass shape on their underside.

Their venom rarely causes fatalities — typically only involving the very young, elderly or those in poor health. But the side effects of a bite — nausea, sweating, muscle aches and possibly difficulty breathing — certainly aren’t for the faint of heart.

Yellow Sac Spider

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Location: Eastern and midwestern U.S.

Size: About half an inch

Another common spider in the U.S. is the yellow sac spider, which is known for building sacs instead of webs. They’re nocturnal creatures that come out at night for food, especially in the fall months when their food supply becomes scarce.

Their bite is quite significant, with fangs that can easily pierce human skin, but it is not deadly.

Brown Widow Spider

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Location: Throughout the U.S.

Size: About 1 inch

Like its black widow counter part, the female brown widow also has a poisonous bite, but it’s much less harmful. In fact, they’re not considered deadly at all, but their bite will cause some redness and swelling around the bite area as will as possibly fever, joint pain and nausea.

They’re most commonly found in vegetation in tropical areas or secluded places such as garages and storage closets.

Brown Recluse Spider

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Location: Midwestern and South Central U.S.

Size: About 1 inch

The brown recluse is another one of North America’s most dangerous spiders. That’s because one bite from this spider can lead to a breakdown of skin, fat and blood cells, leaving a gangrenous, open wound on the skin. In other words, you’ll want to waste no time seeking medical attention if you get bitten by this arachnid.

Like most spiders on this list, the brown recluse lives in dark areas and can become challenging to control since females have been known to produce more than 150 spiderlings each year.

Wolf Spider

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Location: Mostly in Texas, California and Missouri

Size: About 1.5 inches

These spiders have eight eyes on their head, which is good since they have to hunt for their food, unlike other spiders that spin webs to trap their prey. These spiders are known to pounce and jump, but their bite is not a threat to humans.

Again, the females do most of the heavy lifting, quite literally carrying their egg sacs in their jaws until their babies hatch. Then, the mothers carry their spiderlings on their backs for about a week.

Corner Funnel Weaver Spider

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Location: Throughout the U.S. and Canada

Size: Up to 2 inches

This spider is known for building a funnel-shaped web to trap its prey. It, like other funnel-web spiders, produces toxic venom that can be potentially dangerous to humans.

Most bites will produce a tingling sensation around the mouth as well as sweating, vomiting, nausea, headaches and high blood pressure.

For even more dangerous spiders, check out “25 Most Dangerous Spiders in the World.”