Habitats range from lowland valleys to mountains, grasslands and shrublands to forests and forest edges, sand dunes to rocky areas, and wilderness areas to semi-agricultural and suburban areas. During daylight, this secretive snake generally hides in logs and stumps and under surface cover but also may be found in the open. In the north of its range it hibernates underground or in deep rock crevices. Eggs are laid in soil, sawdust piles, or under surface cover.

Range extends from southern Minnesota, Michigan, southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and southern Maine southward to North Carolina and extreme northern Alabama and Georgia; also Mississippi, possibly north of the Arkansas, and northeastern Louisiana (specifically La Salle Parish) (Ruane et al. 2014). The range meets that of Lampropeltis elapsoides in the southeastern United States. Area of occupancy is unknown but very large.

Currently, this species is of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management or monitoring. Many occurrences of this species are in national parks and other well-protected areas.