The ten biggest U.S. states by total land-and-water area, from Alaska's continent-scale footprint to Wyoming's wide-open basin and range.
Quick answer: 1. Alaska, 2. Texas, 3. California, 4. Montana, 5. New Mexico, 6. Arizona, 7. Nevada, 8. Colorado, 9. Oregon, 10. Wyoming.
The United States looks very different when ranked by area instead of population. Alaska alone is larger than the next three states combined, while several lower-48 western states outrank more densely populated coastal states by a wide margin. This list ranks states by total area, meaning land plus inland and coastal water area, using U.S. Census Bureau area measurements.
Alaska is in a category of its own: more than 660,000 square miles when land and water are counted together. Its total area is larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.
Texas is the largest state in the contiguous United States. Its total area is about 268,596 square miles, stretching from the Gulf Coast to the High Plains.
California ranks third by total area, even before considering its outsized population and economy. Its geography spans Pacific coastline, Central Valley farmland, deserts, and the Sierra Nevada.
Montana is the largest state in the Mountain West by total area. Its wide footprint includes the Northern Rockies, large plains, and a long Canadian border.
New Mexico rounds out the top five, covering more than 121,000 square miles of desert basins, mesas, mountains, and high plains.
Arizona is nearly as large as New Mexico, with a total area just under 114,000 square miles. Its ranking is driven by its broad desert plateau and canyon country.
Nevada covers more than 110,000 square miles, much of it Great Basin desert and mountain ranges. Its area ranking far exceeds its population ranking.
Colorado's roughly rectangular borders contain more than 104,000 square miles, including the highest average elevation of any U.S. state.
Oregon ranks ninth by total area, with nearly 98,400 square miles running from Pacific coastline to Cascade volcanoes and high desert.
Wyoming edges into the top ten with almost 97,813 square miles. It is one of the least populous states, but one of the largest by footprint.
| # | Name | Capital | Region | Land area (sq mi) | Water area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | Juneau | Pacific | 570641 | 94743 |
| 2 | Texas | Austin | South | 261232 | 7365 |
| 3 | California | Sacramento | Pacific | 155779 | 7916 |
| 4 | Montana | Helena | West | 145546 | 1494 |
| 5 | New Mexico | Santa Fe | West | 121298 | 292 |
| 6 | Arizona | Phoenix | West | 113594 | 396 |
| 7 | Nevada | Carson City | West | 109781 | 791 |
| 8 | Colorado | Denver | West | 103642 | 452 |
| 9 | Oregon | Salem | Pacific | 95988 | 2391 |
| 10 | Wyoming | Cheyenne | West | 97093 | 720 |
States are ranked by total area in square miles from the U.S. Census Bureau's state area measurements. Total area includes land area plus water area. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole square mile for readability, while rank order follows the published Census totals.
Alaska is the largest U.S. state by total area, at about 665,384 square miles.
Texas is the largest state in the contiguous United States, at about 268,596 square miles.
This ranking uses total area, which includes both land and water area.