The 10 Largest U.S. States by Area: Rankings and Key Facts

When measuring states by total area (land + water), the top ten are dominated by western and Alaskan giants. Here's the definitive ranking based on U.S. Census Bureau data:

1. Alaska – 665,384 sq mi (1,723,337 km²) – Larger than the next three combined.
2. Texas – 268,596 sq mi (695,662 km²) – The largest contiguous state.
3. California – 163,695 sq mi (423,967 km²)
4. Montana – 147,046 sq mi (380,831 km²)
5. New Mexico – 121,590 sq mi (314,917 km²)
6. Arizona – 113,990 sq mi (295,234 km²)
7. Nevada – 110,572 sq mi (286,380 km²)
8. Colorado – 104,094 sq mi (269,601 km²)
9. Oregon – 98,381 sq mi (254,800 km²)
10. Wyoming – 97,818 sq mi (253,348 km²)

Notable Context

• Alaska is 2.5× the size of Texas and comprises 17% of total U.S. land area.
• Rhode Island (smallest) fits into Alaska 425 times.
• If the top 10 were a country, they'd rank 7th globally by area (between India and Argentina).
• Water area significantly affects rankings: Michigan (11th) would be 10th by land area alone.