The Largest States in the United States 2024

The United States is a country of large territorial extension, made up of 50 states, each with its unique geographic and cultural characteristics. The country is the third largest in the world, behind Russia and Canada, respectively.

The largest states in the United States, in terms of area, encompass vast deserts, plains, forests, mountains, and coasts, offering an incredible variety of ecosystems and biodiversity.

From a geographic perspective, the United States stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, encompassing four time zones and a total area of about 9.8 million square kilometers. Compared to Brazil, which has an area of approximately 8.5 million square kilometers, the northern country is slightly larger in territorial extension.

While Brazil has 26 states and a Federal District, the United States has 50 states, varying in size and population.

The largest North American states occupy significant areas of the national territory and play fundamental roles in the country’s economy, culture and politics. The geographical vastness of the United States and the variety of landscapes and climates result in a wealth of natural resources and opportunities for the development of diverse economic activities, such as agriculture, mining, tourism and energy.

The 8 Largest States in the United States

The size of a state can be subjective. For example, if we talk about population density or territorial extension, the ranking of the largest states in the United States can be quite varied. Therefore, we will mainly talk about the territorial extension of these states.

1. Alaska

With 1,070.83km², Alaska is by far the largest state in the USA. However, the district also has the lowest population density in the country. More than 152 thousand km² of Alaska is basically water. This makes the state have 40% of the total water surface in the USA.

Alaska is northwest of Canada and is very close to Siberia, in Russia. The region is one of the coldest on the planet and also a highly important polar ecosystem.

2. Texas

Almost half the size of Alaska, Texas is in the extreme south of the country and is 695,662km°. Texas is on the border with Mexico and is mostly covered by deserts and coniferous forests.

3. California

Covering a large part of the American West Coast, California accounts for 423,970km². Ranking third in size, California also has the largest population in the US, with 39 million people. The climate in the state is quite hot and the region lies above the San Andreas fault, a large boundary between tectonic plates with intense seismic activity.

4. Montana

Montana is 380,832km² long, and therefore comes in fourth place on the list of largest states in the United States. The state also has two of the largest cities in the country: Anaconda and Butte. Due to the abundance of mineral reserves, mainly gold and silver, the state is nicknamed “Treasure State”.

5. New Mexico

New Mexico’s capital is the city of Santa Fe, the oldest capital in the country, founded in 1610. With 315,194km², New Mexico has 47% of its population with Hispanic or Latino identification. The state is located between Texas and Arizona, also on the border with Mexico.

6. Arizona

With 294,199km², Arizona has the capital Phoenix, with approximately 1.7 million people. The capital is one of the largest in the country in terms of territorial extension. Arizona is home to one of the most famous tourist and natural attractions in the USA: the Grand Canyon.

7. Nevada

Home to the famous city of Las Vegas, Nevada is the seventh largest state in the country, with 284,330km². Nevada is also home to the famous Area 51 base, around which many conspiracy theories revolve. The state is also the driest in the US, with an average of 108 mm of rainfall in some regions.

8. Colorado

Colorado is mostly covered by the large mountain range known as the Rocky Mountains. The state is 268,423km² long and is located in the center-west of the country.

All 50 States in Territorial Order

Rank	State	Area (square kilometers)
1.	Alaska	1,723,337
2.	Texas	695,662
3.	California	423,970
4.	Montana	380,833
5.	New Mexico	314,918
6.	Arizona	294,208
7.	Nevada	284,332
8.	Colorado	269,602
9.	Oregon	254,800
10.	Wyoming	253,335
11.	Michigan	250,487
12.	Minnesota	225,163
13.	Utah	219,882
14.	Idaho	216,443
15.	Kansas	213,100
16.	Nebraska	200,330
17.	South Dakota	199,729
18.	North Dakota	183,108
19.	Oklahoma	181,037
20.	washington	184,661
21.	Missouri	180,540
22.	Florida	170,312
23.	Wisconsin	169,635
24.	Georgia	153,910
25.	Illinois	149,995
26.	Iowa	145,746
27.	New York	141,297
28.	North Caroline	139,391
29.	Arkansas	137,732
30.	Alabama	135,767
31.	Louisiana	135,658
32.	Mississippi	125,438
33.	Pennsylvania	119,280
34.	Ohio	116,099
35.	Virginia	110,787
36.	Tennessee	109,153
37.	Kentucky	104,656
38.	Indiana	94,326
39.	Maine	91,633
40.	South Carolina	82,933
41.	West Virginia	62,755
42.	Maryland	32,131
43.	Hawaii	28,313
44.	Massachusetts	27,336
45.	Vermont	24,906
46.	New Hampshire	24,214
47.	New Jersey	22,591
48.	Connecticut	14,357
49.	Delaware	6,447
50.	Rhode Island	4,001

The Largest States in the United States 2024