The United States of America is a large country, both in terms of area and population. Much of the North American continent is occupied by US territory. The population of the US is almost 327 million. This puts the country in third place in the ranking of countries by population. The United States is a federal nation consisting of 50 states. Below are two lists of US states, ranked by population and area.

10 largest states in America

10.Michigan

Michigan is a state in the northeastern United States, bordering four ‘Great Lakes’ (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron) and Canada. The capital of Michigan is Lansing, a relatively small town with only 115,000 inhabitants. The largest city is Detroit (670,000 inhabitants), known all over the world for its extensive car industry. The Detroit area is one of the most densely populated industrial areas in the US. Michigan’s territory consists of two main peninsulas, the Lower Peninsula in the south and the Upper Peninsula in the north. Michigan joined the United States in the year 1837. Nearly 10 million people live in Michigan. The state ranks tenth on the list of states with the largest population.

9.North Carolina

The state of North Carolina is located on the east coast of the US. North of it is Virginia, west Tennessee, south South Carolina. Its capital is Raleigh, but its largest and most famous city is Charlotte. North Carolina was one of the original thirteen British colonies in America that declared independence from their mother country in the year 1776. The population of North Carolina in 2019 was approximately 10.5 million. North Carolina ranks ninth in the list of largest states in America by population.

8.Georgia

In eighth place we find the state of Georgia, in the southeastern US, north of Florida, east of Alabama and south of Tennessee and South Carolina. Georgia borders the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Georgia was also one of the thirteen original British colonies that declared independence in 1776 and laid the foundations of the United States. The capital and largest city of Georgia is Atlanta, a metropolis with about 507000 inhabitants. In total, Georgia has a population of over 10.6 million, which ranks eighth on this list.

7.Ohio

The northeastern state of Ohio takes its name from the Ohio River, a river that forms the border with Kentucky to the south and West Virginia to the east. Ohio also borders Pennsylvania to the east, Indiana to the west, and Michigan and Lake Erie to the north. Ohio joined the United States in 1803, becoming the 17th state. The capital and largest city is Columbus, centrally located in Ohio. Other major cities are Cincinatti to the south and Cleveland to the north. Ohio has a population of 11.7 million and ranks seventh on the list.

6.Illinois

Illinois is located in the northeastern United States, west of Indiana and Kentucky and south of Wisconsin. In the west of the state, the Mississippi River forms the border with Iowa and Missouri. Illinois became a US state in 1818. The capital is centrally located Springfield, but the largest and most famous city in Illinois is undoubtedly Chicago. Illinois has a population of nearly 12.7 million, ranking sixth in our ranking.

5.Pennsylvania

The British King Charles II gave the territory of Pennsylvania in 1681 to William Penn, the son of a British admiral to whom the king still owed a large sum of money. Pennsylvania borders New York to the north, Ohio to the west, Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware to the south, and New Jersey to the east. Pennsylvania was one of thirteen British colonies that declared independence in 1776. The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg, a city of less than 50,000 inhabitants. Much better known and much larger is Philadelphia with almost 1.6 million inhabitants. In Philadelphia stands the Independence Hall, the building in which the American Declaration of Independence was approved in 1776. Pennsylvania has a population of 12.8 million and ranks fifth on this list.

4. New York

New York State borders Canada to the north and west. The world-famous Niagara Falls is located near the city of Buffalo, on the border between New York and Canada. East of New York are the states of Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. To the south are Pennsylvania and New Jersey. New York became a US state in 1788. Strangely enough, the capital is not the city of New York, but the much smaller city of Albany with less than 100,000 inhabitants. Naturally, the city of New York City is the largest metropolis in the state, with a population of around 8.3 million. A total of 19.4 million people live in the state of New York, which puts New York in fourth place in our ranking.

3.Florida

The sunny state of Florida is located in the southeastern United States. Florida is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the south and west. To the north, the state borders Alabama and Georgia. Florida was first a Spanish and then a British colony. Florida joined the United States as the 27th state in 1845. The capital is Tallahassee. Jacksonville is the largest city with a population of 911000. The most famous city is undoubtedly Miami, located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The Orlando area is home to the world-famous Disney World theme park. Florida has nearly 21.5 million inhabitants.

2.Texas

The oil state of Texas borders both the country of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico in the south. Texas is surrounded from west to east by the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. In 1845 Texas joined the United States. Texas evokes images of ranches, cowboys, rodeos and oil fields in most people’s minds. The capital is centrally located Austin with over 913,000 inhabitants. The city of Dallas, where President Kennedy was assassinated, has a population of approximately 1.35 million. However, the largest Texan city is Houston, with a population of over 2.3 million. The state comes in second place in the ranking, with almost 29 million people living there.

1. California

California is right at the top of this list. No less than 39.5 million inhabitants live in this sunny state in the southwest of the US. California borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and Mexico to the south. California is the state where Hollywood is located, the center of the American film industry. It is also the state where you will find Silicon Valley, synonymous with high technology, electronics and computers. The capital of California is Sacramento (population 514000). However, much larger and better known are San Francisco (883,000 inhabitants) and Los Angeles (3.99 million).