List of the largest counties in the United States by area

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the 100 largest counties in the United States by area. The list is based upon the total area of a county, both land and water surface, reported by the United States Census Bureau during the 2000 Census.[1] Alaska is not divided into counties.

A different ranking becomes apparent when comparing county areas by land area alone as opposed to total area. Some counties, such as Keweenaw and Alger Counties in Michigan, include significant amounts of water in their total area and would not appear on a list that considered land area alone. This list also includes the four counties that would be included when water area is not included.

Nine US states are smaller than San Bernardino County, California, and two states, Rhode Island and Delaware are smaller than the smallest counties on this list.

List of largest counties[edit]

Rank County State County seat Total area Land area
1 San Bernardino County California San Bernardino 20,105.32 sq mi (52,072.5 km2) 20,052.5 sq mi (51,936 km2)
2 Coconino County Arizona Flagstaff 18,661.21 sq mi (48,332.3 km2) 18,617.42 sq mi (48,218.9 km2)
3 Nye County Nevada Tonopah 18,158.73 sq mi (47,030.9 km2) 18,146.66 sq mi (46,999.6 km2)
4 Elko County Nevada Elko 17,202.94 sq mi (44,555.4 km2) 17,179.03 sq mi (44,493.5 km2)
5 Mohave County Arizona Kingman 13,469.71 sq mi (34,886.4 km2) 13,311.64 sq mi (34,477.0 km2)
6 Apache County Arizona St. Johns 11,218.42 sq mi (29,055.6 km2) 11,204.88 sq mi (29,020.5 km2)
7 Lincoln County Nevada Pioche 10,636.77 sq mi (27,549.1 km2) 10,633.61 sq mi (27,540.9 km2)
8 Sweetwater County Wyoming Green River 10,491.17 sq mi (27,172.0 km2) 10,425.3 sq mi (27,001 km2)
9 Inyo County California Independence 10,226.98 sq mi (26,487.8 km2) 10,203.1 sq mi (26,426 km2)
10 Harney County Oregon Burns 10,226.49 sq mi (26,486.5 km2) 10,134.33 sq mi (26,247.8 km2)
11 Navajo County Arizona Holbrook 9,959.49 sq mi (25,795.0 km2) 9,953.18 sq mi (25,778.6 km2)
12 Malheur County Oregon Vale 9,929.99 sq mi (25,718.6 km2) 9,887.09 sq mi (25,607.4 km2)
13 Humboldt County Nevada Winnemucca 9,657.87 sq mi (25,013.8 km2) 9,647.91 sq mi (24,988.0 km2)
14 Fremont County Wyoming Lander 9,265.8 sq mi (23,998 km2) 9,182.27 sq mi (23,782.0 km2)
15 Maricopa County Arizona Phoenix 9,224.27 sq mi (23,890.7 km2) 9,203.14 sq mi (23,836.0 km2)
16 Pima County Arizona Tucson 9,188.83 sq mi (23,799.0 km2) 9,186.27 sq mi (23,792.3 km2)
17 White Pine County Nevada Ely 8,896.6 sq mi (23,042 km2) 8,875.98 sq mi (22,988.7 km2)
18 Idaho County Idaho Grangeville 8,502.48 sq mi (22,021.3 km2) 8,484.88 sq mi (21,975.7 km2)
19 Lake County Oregon Lakeview 8,358.47 sq mi (21,648.3 km2) 8,135.75 sq mi (21,071.5 km2)
20 Kern County California Bakersfield 8,161.42 sq mi (21,138.0 km2) 8,140.96 sq mi (21,085.0 km2)
21 Yavapai County Arizona Prescott 8,127.78 sq mi (21,050.9 km2) 8,123.3 sq mi (21,039 km2)
22 Clark County Nevada Las Vegas 8,090.66 sq mi (20,954.7 km2) 7,910.34 sq mi (20,487.7 km2)
23 Carbon County Wyoming Rawlins 7,964.03 sq mi (20,626.7 km2) 7,896.14 sq mi (20,450.9 km2)
24 San Juan County Utah Monticello 7,933.09 sq mi (20,546.6 km2) 7,820.18 sq mi (20,254.2 km2)
25 Owyhee County Idaho Murphy 7,696.71 sq mi (19,934.4 km2) 7,677.98 sq mi (19,885.9 km2)
26 Riverside County California Riverside 7,303.13 sq mi (18,915.0 km2) 7,207.37 sq mi (18,667.0 km2)
27 Tooele County Utah Tooele 7,287.12 sq mi (18,873.6 km2) 6,930.35 sq mi (17,949.5 km2)
28 Park County Wyoming Cody 6,968.51 sq mi (18,048.4 km2) 6,942.39 sq mi (17,980.7 km2)
29 Catron County New Mexico Reserve 6,929.03 sq mi (17,946.1 km2) 6,927.81 sq mi (17,942.9 km2)
30 St. Louis County Minnesota Duluth 6,859.91 sq mi (17,767.1 km2) 6,225.16 sq mi (16,123.1 km2)
31 Aroostook County Maine Houlton 6,828.79 sq mi (17,686.5 km2) 6,671.54 sq mi (17,279.2 km2)
32 Millard County Utah Fillmore 6,828.01 sq mi (17,684.5 km2) 6,589.13 sq mi (17,065.8 km2)
33 Box Elder County Utah Brigham City 6,729.03 sq mi (17,428.1 km2) 5,723.34 sq mi (14,823.4 km2)
34 Socorro County New Mexico Socorro 6,648.71 sq mi (17,220.1 km2) 6,646.4 sq mi (17,214 km2)
35 Otero County New Mexico Alamogordo 6,627.43 sq mi (17,165.0 km2) 6,626.5 sq mi (17,163 km2)
36 Washoe County Nevada Reno 6,551.32 sq mi (16,967.8 km2) 6,342.27 sq mi (16,426.4 km2)
37 Siskiyou County California Yreka 6,347.46 sq mi (16,439.8 km2) 6,286.78 sq mi (16,282.7 km2)
38 Cochise County Arizona Bisbee 6,218.77 sq mi (16,106.5 km2) 6,169.45 sq mi (15,978.8 km2)
39 Brewster County Texas Alpine 6,192.78 sq mi (16,039.2 km2) 6,192.61 sq mi (16,038.8 km2)
40 Klamath County Oregon Klamath Falls 6,135.75 sq mi (15,891.5 km2) 5,944.19 sq mi (15,395.4 km2)
41 Chaves County New Mexico Roswell 6,075.07 sq mi (15,734.4 km2) 6,070.86 sq mi (15,723.5 km2)
42 Pershing County Nevada Lovelock 6,067.55 sq mi (15,714.9 km2) 6,036.56 sq mi (15,634.6 km2)
43 Fresno County California Fresno 6,017.42 sq mi (15,585.0 km2) 5,962.73 sq mi (15,443.4 km2)
44 Cherry County Nebraska Valentine 6,009.54 sq mi (15,564.6 km2) 5,960.52 sq mi (15,437.7 km2)
45 Keweenaw County Michigan Eagle River 5,965.96 sq mi (15,451.8 km2) 540.97 sq mi (1,401.1 km2)
46 Rio Arriba County New Mexico Tierra Amarilla 5,896.1 sq mi (15,271 km2) 5,857.63 sq mi (15,171.2 km2)
47 Beaverhead County Montana Dillon 5,572.04 sq mi (14,431.5 km2) 5,542.31 sq mi (14,354.5 km2)
48 San Juan County New Mexico Aztec 5,538.36 sq mi (14,344.3 km2) 5,514.02 sq mi (14,281.2 km2)
49 Lander County Nevada Battle Mountain 5,519.47 sq mi (14,295.4 km2) 5,493.63 sq mi (14,228.4 km2)
50 Yuma County Arizona Yuma 5,518.96 sq mi (14,294.0 km2) 5,514.09 sq mi (14,281.4 km2)
51 McKinley County New Mexico Gallup 5,455.22 sq mi (14,129.0 km2) 5,448.72 sq mi (14,112.1 km2)
52 Natrona County Wyoming Casper 5,375.72 sq mi (13,923.1 km2) 5,339.88 sq mi (13,830.2 km2)
53 Pinal County Arizona Florence 5,374.09 sq mi (13,918.8 km2) 5,369.59 sq mi (13,907.2 km2)
54 Okanogan County Washington Okanogan 5,315.16 sq mi (13,766.2 km2) 5,268.07 sq mi (13,644.2 km2)
55 Flathead County Montana Kalispell 5,256.45 sq mi (13,614.1 km2) 5,098.34 sq mi (13,204.6 km2)
56 Phillips County Montana Malta 5,212.17 sq mi (13,499.5 km2) 5,139.57 sq mi (13,311.4 km2)
57 Garfield County Utah Panguitch 5,208.2 sq mi (13,489 km2) 5,174.22 sq mi (13,401.2 km2)
58 Douglas County Oregon Roseburg 5,133.83 sq mi (13,296.6 km2) 5,036.62 sq mi (13,044.8 km2)
59 Hawaii County Hawaii Hilo 5,086.7 sq mi (13,174 km2) 4,028.02 sq mi (10,432.5 km2)
60 Valley County Montana Glasgow 5,061.98 sq mi (13,110.5 km2) 4,921 sq mi (12,750 km2)
61 Alger County Michigan Munising 5,049.08 sq mi (13,077.1 km2) 917.83 sq mi (2,377.2 km2)
62 Rosebud County Montana Forsyth 5,026.94 sq mi (13,019.7 km2) 5,012.37 sq mi (12,982.0 km2)
63 Churchill County Nevada Fallon 5,023.38 sq mi (13,010.5 km2) 4,929.08 sq mi (12,766.3 km2)
64 Big Horn County Montana Hardin 5,014.65 sq mi (12,987.9 km2) 4,994.81 sq mi (12,936.5 km2)
65 Custer County Idaho Challis 4,936.79 sq mi (12,786.2 km2) 4,925.45 sq mi (12,756.9 km2)
66 Sublette County Wyoming Pinedale 4,935.66 sq mi (12,783.3 km2) 4,882.57 sq mi (12,645.8 km2)
67 Garfield County Montana Jordan 4,847.54 sq mi (12,555.1 km2) 4,668.06 sq mi (12,090.2 km2)
68 Tulare County California Visalia 4,839.09 sq mi (12,533.2 km2) 4,823.97 sq mi (12,494.0 km2)
69 Lincoln County New Mexico Carrizozo 4,831.25 sq mi (12,512.9 km2) 4,830.97 sq mi (12,512.2 km2)
70 Campbell County Wyoming Gillette 4,807.25 sq mi (12,450.7 km2) 4,803.13 sq mi (12,440.0 km2)
71 Gila County Arizona Globe 4,795.74 sq mi (12,420.9 km2) 4,767.7 sq mi (12,348 km2)
72 Las Animas County Colorado Trinidad 4,775.42 sq mi (12,368.3 km2) 4,772.63 sq mi (12,361.1 km2)
73 Pecos County Texas Fort Stockton 4,764.73 sq mi (12,340.6 km2) 4,763.66 sq mi (12,337.8 km2)
74 Los Angeles County California Los Angeles 4,752.32 sq mi (12,308.5 km2) 4,060.87 sq mi (10,517.6 km2)
75 Moffat County Colorado Craig 4,750.94 sq mi (12,304.9 km2) 4,742.25 sq mi (12,282.4 km2)
76 San Miguel County New Mexico Las Vegas 4,735.63 sq mi (12,265.2 km2) 4,717.04 sq mi (12,217.1 km2)
77 Lane County Oregon Eugene 4,721.79 sq mi (12,229.4 km2) 4,554 sq mi (11,790 km2)
78 Lassen County California Susanville 4,720.37 sq mi (12,225.7 km2) 4,557.27 sq mi (11,803.3 km2)
79 Graham County Arizona Safford 4,641.14 sq mi (12,020.5 km2) 4,629.32 sq mi (11,989.9 km2)
80 Hudspeth County Texas Sierra Blanca 4,571.93 sq mi (11,841.2 km2) 4,571 sq mi (11,840 km2)
81 Lemhi County Idaho Salmon 4,569.5 sq mi (11,835 km2) 4,564.16 sq mi (11,821.1 km2)
82 Cibola County New Mexico Grants 4,541.71 sq mi (11,763.0 km2) 4,539.21 sq mi (11,756.5 km2)
83 Grant County Oregon Canyon City 4,529.32 sq mi (11,730.9 km2) 4,528.6 sq mi (11,729 km2)
84 San Diego County California San Diego 4,525.52 sq mi (11,721.0 km2) 4,199.89 sq mi (10,877.7 km2)
85 La Paz County Arizona Parker 4,513.36 sq mi (11,689.5 km2) 4,499.95 sq mi (11,654.8 km2)
86 Uintah County Utah Vernal 4,498.98 sq mi (11,652.3 km2) 4,477.07 sq mi (11,595.6 km2)
87 Imperial County California El Centro 4,481.73 sq mi (11,607.6 km2) 4,174.73 sq mi (10,812.5 km2)
88 Emery County Utah Castle Dale 4,461.54 sq mi (11,555.3 km2) 4,451.85 sq mi (11,530.2 km2)
89 Lea County New Mexico Lovington 4,394.02 sq mi (11,380.5 km2) 4,392.96 sq mi (11,377.7 km2)
90 Piscataquis County Maine Dover-Foxcroft 4,377.36 sq mi (11,337.3 km2) 3,966.22 sq mi (10,272.5 km2)
91 Fergus County Montana Lewistown 4,350.36 sq mi (11,267.4 km2) 4,339.17 sq mi (11,238.4 km2)
92 Yakima County Washington Yakima 4,311.61 sq mi (11,167.0 km2) 4,296.23 sq mi (11,127.2 km2)
93 Albany County Wyoming Laramie 4,308.79 sq mi (11,159.7 km2) 4,272.75 sq mi (11,066.4 km2)
94 Converse County Wyoming Douglas 4,265.1 sq mi (11,047 km2) 4,254.72 sq mi (11,019.7 km2)
95 Blaine County Montana Chinook 4,238.92 sq mi (10,978.8 km2) 4,226.18 sq mi (10,945.8 km2)
96 Sierra County New Mexico Truth or Consequences 4,236.3 sq mi (10,972 km2) 4,180.23 sq mi (10,826.7 km2)
97 Teton County Wyoming Jackson 4,221.8 sq mi (10,934 km2) 4,007.76 sq mi (10,380.1 km2)
98 Modoc County California Alturas 4,203.37 sq mi (10,886.7 km2) 3,944.1 sq mi (10,215 km2)
99 Eddy County New Mexico Carlsbad 4,197.57 sq mi (10,871.7 km2) 4,182.02 sq mi (10,831.4 km2)
100 Eureka County Nevada Eureka 4,179.96 sq mi (10,826.0 km2) 4,175.68 sq mi (10,815.0 km2)
101 (94)[a] Johnson County Wyoming Buffalo 4,174.71 sq mi (10,812.4 km2) 4,166.28 sq mi (10,790.6 km2)
102 (100)[a] Kane County Utah Kanab 4,108.42 sq mi (10,640.8 km2) 3,991.96 sq mi (10,339.1 km2)
104 (95)[a] Lincoln County Wyoming Kemmerer 4,089.01 sq mi (10,590.5 km2) 4,069.09 sq mi (10,538.9 km2)
106 (99)[a] Orange County California Santa Ana 4,021.56 sq mi (10,415.8 km2) 3,992.45 sq mi (10,340.4 km2)

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d The figure shown in parentheses indicates the rank this county would have when considering land area only.

Alaskan boroughs and census areas[edit]

Unlike most states, Alaska is divided into boroughs and census areas that serve as county-equivalents for the Census Bureau. If included with the remainder of the counties and county-equivalent areas in the United States, Alaska's boroughs and census areas would occupy the largest 11. Below is a list of these boroughs and census areas that would rank in the top 100 if included in the above list.

The Unorganized Borough, in which all of the census areas are located, is not considered a county-equivalent area and is not included in this list. With an area of 323,440 sq mi (837,700 km2), it would easily top the list, outranking every state in the country (except Alaska).

The rankings in the below list reflect the rank each borough or census area would have if included with all counties and county-equivalent areas in the United States (up to #11).

Rank Borough/Census Area Total area Land area
1 Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 147,842.51 sq mi (382,910.3 km2) 145,899.69 sq mi (377,878.5 km2)
2 North Slope Borough 94,762.64 sq mi (245,434.1 km2) 88,817.12 sq mi (230,035.3 km2)
3 Bethel Census Area 45,508.46 sq mi (117,866.4 km2) 40,633.31 sq mi (105,239.8 km2)
4 Northwest Arctic Borough 40,762 sq mi (105,570 km2) 35,898.34 sq mi (92,976.3 km2)
5 Lake and Peninsula Borough 30,906.96 sq mi (80,048.7 km2) 23,781.96 sq mi (61,595.0 km2)
6 Nome Census Area 28,283.33 sq mi (73,253.5 km2) 23,000.91 sq mi (59,572.1 km2)
7 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 25,259.79 sq mi (65,422.6 km2) 24,681.54 sq mi (63,924.9 km2)
8 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area 25,061.19 sq mi (64,908.2 km2) 24,814.86 sq mi (64,270.2 km2)
9 Kenai Peninsula Borough 24,754.6 sq mi (64,114 km2) 16,013.26 sq mi (41,474.2 km2)
10 Copper River Census Area 24,692 sq mi (63,950 km2) 24,692 sq mi (63,950 km2)
11 Dillingham Census Area 20,928.41 sq mi (54,204.3 km2) 18,674.78 sq mi (48,367.5 km2)
12 Kusilvak Census Area 19,669.24 sq mi (50,943.1 km2) 17,193.5 sq mi (44,531 km2)
13 Aleutians East Borough 15,011.6 sq mi (38,880 km2) 6,988.14 sq mi (18,099.2 km2)
14 Aleutians West Census Area 14,116.51 sq mi (36,561.6 km2) 4,396.77 sq mi (11,387.6 km2)
15 Denali Borough 12,774.53 sq mi (33,085.9 km2) 12,749.65 sq mi (33,021.4 km2)
16 Kodiak Island Borough 12,023.67 sq mi (31,141.2 km2) 6,559.85 sq mi (16,989.9 km2)
17 Hoonah-Angoon Census Area 10,914 sq mi (28,270 km2) 7,525 sq mi (19,490 km2)
18 Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area 7,683 sq mi (19,900 km2) 3,923 sq mi (10,160 km2)
19 Chugach Census Area 9,530 sq mi (24,700 km2) 9,530 sq mi (24,700 km2)
20 Yakutat City and Borough 9,459.28 sq mi (24,499.4 km2) 7,650.46 sq mi (19,814.6 km2)
21 Fairbanks North Star Borough 7,444.02 sq mi (19,279.9 km2) 7,366.24 sq mi (19,078.5 km2)
22 Sitka City and Borough 4,811.53 sq mi (12,461.8 km2) 2,873.98 sq mi (7,443.6 km2)
23 Petersburg Borough 3,829 sq mi (9,920 km2) 3,829 sq mi (9,920 km2)
24 Wrangell City and Borough 3,476.61 sq mi (9,004.4 km2) 2,555.99 sq mi (6,620.0 km2)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "United States -- County by State, and for Puerto Rico". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-06-25.[dead link]