The United States of America is the third largest country in the world by area. The large area is divided into 50 states and 1 Federal district, Washington, D.C. The following are lists of the top 10 largest states in the US by area and population. Let’s read.
Top 10 largest states in the US by area
| Rank | State | Area | Capital City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | about 665,400 square miles (1.72 million square kilometers) | Juneau |
| 2 | Texas | about 268,600 square miles (695,660 square kilometers) | Austin |
| 3 | California | about 163,700 square miles (423,970 square kilometers) | Sacramento |
| 4 | Montana | about 147,050 square miles (380,830 square kilometers) | Helena |
| 5 | New Mexico | about 121,600 square miles (314,920 square kilometers) | Santa Fe |
| 6 | Arizona | about 114,000 square miles (295,230 square kilometers) | Phoenix |
| 7 | Nevada | about 110,600 square miles (286,380 square kilometers) | Carson City |
| 8 | Colorado | about 104,100 square miles (269,600 square kilometers) | Denver |
| 9 | Oregon | about 98,400 square miles (254,800 square kilometers) | Salem |
| 10 | Wyoming | about 97,800 square miles (253,350 square kilometers) | Cheyenne |
Top 10 largest states in the US by population
| Rank | State | Population (2022 estimate) | Capital City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | around 39 million | Sacramento |
| 2 | Texas | around 30 million | Austin |
| 3 | Florida | around 22.2 million | Tallahassee |
| 4 | New York | around 19.7 million | Albany |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | around 13 million | Harrisburg |
| 6 | Illinois | around 12.6 million | Springfield |
| 7 | Ohio | around 11.8 million | Columbus |
| 8 | Georgia | around 10.9 million | Atlanta |
| 9 | North Carolina | around 10.7 million | Raleigh |
| 10 | Michigan | around 10 million | Lansing |
(Also read: Top 10 largest cities in the US by population)
Top 10 most densely populated US states
| Rank | State | Population density (2022 estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | around 1260 persons per square mile (487 persons per square kilometer) |
| 2 | Rhode Island | around 1058 persons per square mile (409 persons per square kilometer) |
| 3 | Massachusetts | around 895 persons per square mile (346 persons per square kilometer) |
| 4 | Connecticut | around 749 persons per square mile (290 persons per square kilometer) |
| 5 | Maryland | around 635 persons per square mile (245 persons per square kilometer) |
| 6 | Delaware | around 523 persons per square mile (202 persons per square kilometer) |
| 7 | New York State | around 418 persons per square mile (161 persons per square kilometer) |
| 8 | Florida | around 415 persons per square mile (160 persons per square kilometer) |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | around 290 persons per square mile (112 persons per square kilometer) |
| 10 | Ohio | around 288 persons per square mile (111 persons per square kilometer) |
*Population density of District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) – 10,990 persons per square mile (4,245 persons per square kilometer)
Key points
- Alaska is the largest state in the US by area. It has an area of about 665,000 square miles (1.7 million square kilometers). Alaska is larger than every European nation (not considering transcontinental nations).
- California is the most populous state in the US. It has a population of about 39 million. Los Angeles is the largest city in California.
- Texas is the largest state in the Contiguous US.
- Hawaii and Alaska became states of the US in 1959. They were the last states to join the union.
- Hawaii and Alaska are the two noncontiguous states.