The Second-Largest U.S. State: Texas

Texas is the second-largest state in the United States by both land area and total area.

Rankings

Note: The source's figure of 268,597 sq mi for Texas is the total area (land + water). Land area is ~261,232 sq mi. Alaska is ~2.2× Texas.

Texas in Perspective

• Larger than France (248,573 sq mi) and Germany (137,988 sq mi) combined.
• If Texas were a country, it would rank 40th in the world by area (between Zambia and Myanmar).
• Population (2024): ~30 million (2nd after California).
• Economy: ~$2.4T GDP (2023) — 8th largest globally if independent.

Why the Confusion?

Some think California is larger because of its population and cultural footprint. But Texas's vast ranchlands, plains, and hill country give it the area edge.