Why would people think most of the states in West are large and Northeast small?

The opposite is actually true! Most states in the Northeast are larger than those in the West. For example, California is the largest state in the West, but it is only the third largest state overall. Meanwhile, Alaska, the largest state in the US is in the West, but Texas, the second largest, is in the South. In fact, four of the five largest states in the US are in the West, but 7 of the 10 smallest are also in the West.

Meanwhile, the smallest state in the US is Rhode Island, which is in the Northeast. New Jersey is the fourth smallest, and Connecticut is the seventh smallest. Overall, 7 of the 10 smallest states are in the Northeast.