Where Are Your Lymph Nodes? A Simple Map
You have hundreds of lymph nodes, but you’ll rarely notice more than a few. Here’s where the main groups sit, what they do, and when a swollen node is worth a doctor’s visit.
Most people discover their lymph nodes the same way: a tender lump under the jaw during a cold. It’s a good moment to learn the map, because knowing where nodes normally sit makes it easier to tell a busy node from one that deserves a closer look.
This guide covers where your lymph nodes are, how many you have, what they do and when a swollen node needs a doctor. It’s general education, not medical advice, and the facts come from the medical sources listed at the end.
What are lymph nodes?
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped organs that filter lymph, the fluid that drains from your tissues, on its way back to your bloodstream. Each one is packed with immune cells that check the passing fluid for germs, debris and damaged cells.
Cleveland Clinic describes them as checkpoints. Inside, B cells, T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells find and destroy germs and clear away damaged or abnormal cells. According to the OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology textbook, each node is wrapped in a tough capsule of connective tissue. Lymph arrives through incoming vessels, called afferent vessels, trickles through channels lined with immune cells, and leaves through outgoing efferent vessels.
If you’d like to start with the fluid itself, our explainer on what lymph is and what it’s made of covers the basics.
How many lymph nodes do you have?
Most adults have somewhere between 400 and 800 lymph nodes, according to Cleveland Clinic, and there’s no exact number everyone shares. OpenStax puts the typical count at about 500 to 600.
They aren’t spread evenly. A surgical textbook chapter by Mahmoud Sakr estimates that about 300 of the body’s roughly 800 nodes sit in the neck, and Cleveland Clinic counts 20 to 40 in each armpit. The rest are spread through your chest, abdomen, pelvis, groin and limbs, mostly in clusters along the main lymph vessels.
Where are the lymph nodes in your body?
Lymph nodes cluster in your head and neck, armpits, chest, abdomen, pelvis and groin, with a few small groups at the elbows and behind the knees. The brain and spinal cord have none. Here’s the map, from top to bottom.
| Area | Node groups | Where to find them | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head | Occipital, mastoid, parotid | At the base of the skull, behind the ears and around the jaw near the ears | Usually hard to feel unless swollen |
| Under the jaw and chin | Submandibular, submental | Just under the jawbone and beneath the chin | Commonly noticed during colds and sore throats |
| Neck | Cervical | Chains along the front, sides and back of the neck | The neck holds roughly 300 nodes in all |
| Above the collarbone | Supraclavicular | In the hollow just above each collarbone | A node you can feel here should always be checked |
| Armpits | Axillary | Deep in each armpit, in several groups | 20 to 40 per side; filter lymph from your arm, breast and chest wall |
| Chest | Mediastinal, hilar | In the middle of the chest, between the lungs | Too deep to feel |
| Abdomen and pelvis | Para-aortic, mesenteric, iliac | Along the aorta, in the mesentery that anchors the intestines, and along the pelvic blood vessels | Too deep to feel |
| Groin | Inguinal | In the crease where your thigh meets your belly | Filter lymph from your legs, genitals and pelvic area |
| Elbows and knees | Epitrochlear, popliteal | On the inner side of the elbow and behind the knee | Normally not felt; one you can feel is worth a check |
Lymph nodes in your neck
Your neck holds more lymph nodes than any other part of your body, with chains running down the front, sides and back, more under the jaw and chin, and a group just above each collarbone. MedlinePlus, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, lists the neck, the area under the jaw and chin, behind the ears and the back of the head among the places nodes are most often felt. These nodes swell most often during colds, since Cleveland Clinic names upper respiratory infections as the leading cause of swollen lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes in your armpits
Each armpit holds about 20 to 40 axillary lymph nodes, arranged in several groups. Cleveland Clinic describes them as a checkpoint for lymph draining from your arm, breast and chest wall. That’s why an infected cut on your hand or arm can make a node in the armpit on the same side tender for a while.
Lymph nodes in your groin
Inguinal lymph nodes sit in the crease where your thigh meets your belly, in a superficial layer just below the inguinal ligament and a deeper layer beneath it. Cleveland Clinic says they filter lymph from your legs, genitals and pelvic area, and that you usually can’t feel them unless they’re swollen.
Lymph nodes deep in your chest and belly
Nodes in your chest, abdomen and pelvis lie too deep to feel. Cleveland Clinic lists the mediastinal and hilar groups in the middle of the chest and the para-aortic, mesenteric and iliac groups in the abdomen and pelvis. When doctors need to check these, they rely on imaging rather than touch.
What do lymph nodes do?
Lymph nodes filter lymph and give your immune cells a place to inspect it. As lymph seeps through a node, cells inside trap germs and debris, and lymphocytes start a targeted immune response if they recognize a threat.
OpenStax calls lymph nodes the “filters of the lymph” and describes them as sites where T cells and B cells mount adaptive immune responses. The arrangement is efficient. Instead of immune cells patrolling every corner of the body, the lymphatic system brings fluid from each region to them. Our guide to how the lymphatic system and immune system work together introduces the rest of the team: the spleen, thymus, tonsils and bone marrow.
Can you feel your lymph nodes?
Usually not: healthy lymph nodes are small, and many lie too deep to feel. You’re most likely to notice one when it swells, typically in your neck, armpits or groin.
Cleveland Clinic notes that some groups sit just under the skin while others are too deep to feel. A swollen node near the surface often feels like a soft, tender, rounded lump that shifts slightly when you press it. A node that feels hard or rubbery, or seems stuck in place, is one to have checked.
If you do find a lump, a few notes will help when you see a clinician:
- Where it is, and whether there’s a similar lump on the other side.
- Its rough size, compared with something familiar such as a pea or a grape.
- How it feels: soft or hard, tender or painless, movable or fixed.
- When you first noticed it, and whether you’ve recently had a cold, sore throat, cut, bite or other infection nearby.
Try not to press on it many times a day. Checking every few days, rather than every few hours, makes real changes easier to judge.
Why do lymph nodes swell?
Lymph nodes swell most often because they’re responding to an infection: immune cells gather inside faster than they leave, and the node enlarges. Colds and other upper respiratory infections are the most common cause.
Cleveland Clinic explains that nodes swell when immune cells meet up before the body sends them where they’re needed, and the crowding causes pressure and swelling. MedlinePlus lists infections as the most common cause overall, and notes that immune disorders, certain medicines and, less often, more serious illnesses can also enlarge nodes. A review in American Family Physician notes that for most patients, swollen nodes are harmless and settle on their own.
Timing matters. MedlinePlus says painful nodes usually stop hurting within a couple of days, but a node can take several weeks to shrink back to its normal size. There’s nothing to drain or massage away, a point we cover in our fact-check of seven lymphatic system myths.
When should you see a doctor about a swollen lymph node?
See a doctor if a swollen lymph node hasn’t shrunk after two to four weeks, keeps growing, feels hard or fixed in place, or comes with fever, night sweats or dropping pounds without trying. Get care right away if swollen nodes come with trouble breathing or swallowing.
Sources word the timing a little differently. MedlinePlus says to contact a provider if nodes don’t get smaller after several weeks, and American Family Physician describes watching an unexplained swollen node in one area for about four weeks when nothing else is concerning. Also make an appointment if:
- the node feels hard, rubbery, irregular or fixed in place rather than soft and movable
- it’s larger than about 2 centimeters (0.8 inch), very painful or growing quickly
- you can feel a node just above your collarbone, at your elbow or behind your knee
- nodes are swollen in more than one area, or have swollen for no clear reason, with no recent infection
- you have a lingering fever, night sweats, unusual tiredness or dropping pounds without trying
- the skin over the node is red and tender, or the node is draining fluid
Most swollen nodes turn out to be harmless. These signs simply mean a clinician should take a look, because now and then a swollen node points to a serious illness that needs proper care.
Don’t try to massage a swollen node down. Leave it alone, and let a clinician check it if it lingers or any of the signs above apply. If you practice lymphatic self-massage, skip it or ask your clinician first if you have an active infection or fever, broken or irritated skin, known or suspected blood clots, a heart or kidney condition, a serious illness under active medical care, or recent surgery.
See a doctor about any new swelling, especially in one arm or leg, or swelling that comes with pain, redness or warmth.
How can you support your lymphatic system day to day?
You support your lymphatic system with everyday basics, not special care for your nodes: regular movement, slow deep breathing, enough fluids and good sleep are what keep lymph moving.
Our 10 daily habits for healthy lymph flow shows how to fit them into an ordinary day, and our gentle lymphatic drainage massage at home walks through a light-touch routine that starts at the collarbones.
If you enjoy herbal rituals, Cleavera Lymphatic Drainage Drops pair four herbs traditionally used to support healthy lymphatic flow.* They’re a complement to these habits, not a substitute for them or for a doctor’s visit when a node needs checking. You can read about each plant on our ingredients page.
Frequently asked questions
Are there lymph nodes in your brain?
No. Cleveland Clinic notes that the brain and spinal cord don’t contain lymph nodes. The nearest groups sit around your head and neck: at the base of your skull, behind your ears, around your jaw and along your neck. Those are the nodes you might notice during a cold, an ear infection or a sore throat.
Is there a lymph node behind your ear?
Yes. Small nodes sit just behind each ear, and Cleveland Clinic lists them among the head groups, along with nodes at the base of the skull and around the jaw. Like other nodes, they can swell during a nearby infection and usually settle as it clears. One that lingers for weeks or feels hard deserves a doctor’s check.
How big is a normal lymph node?
Small. A review in American Family Physician describes nodes larger than about 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) as generally enlarged, though what’s normal varies by location. Cleveland Clinic says a normal groin node is about a quarter inch wide and is considered enlarged once it’s more than half an inch wide.
Which lymph nodes filter lymph from the breast?
Mostly the axillary nodes in your armpit. Cleveland Clinic describes the 20 to 40 nodes in each armpit as a checkpoint for lymph draining from the arm, breast and chest wall. Any new lump in your breast, or a lump in your armpit that doesn’t go away, should be checked by a clinician.
When should a child’s swollen lymph node be checked?
MedlinePlus advises contacting a provider if any node in a child is larger than 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) across. The other warning signs are the same as for adults: a node that keeps growing or lasts for weeks, feels hard or fixed, or comes with fever, night sweats or dropping pounds without trying.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. “Lymph Nodes.” my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23131-lymph-nodes
- Cleveland Clinic. “Swollen Lymph Nodes (Lymphadenopathy, Adenopathy): Symptoms & Causes.” my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/15219-swollen-lymph-nodes
- Cleveland Clinic. “Axillary Lymph Node Dissection.” my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/axillary-lymph-node
- Cleveland Clinic. “Lymph Nodes in Groin (Inguinal Lymph Node): Function & Location.” my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23218-inguinal-lymph-node
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (National Library of Medicine). “Swollen lymph nodes.” medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003097.htm
- American Family Physician. Gaddey HL, Riegel AM. “Unexplained Lymphadenopathy: Evaluation and Differential Diagnosis.” 2016. aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2016/1201/p896
- Head and Neck and Endocrine Surgery (Springer). Sakr M. “Cervical Lymphadenopathy.” 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7123625
- OpenStax, Anatomy and Physiology 2e. “Anatomy of the Lymphatic and Immune Systems.” openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/…/21-1
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