How Big is Alaska? Size Compared to Texas, California & Europe

A massive Alaskan landscape, stars, mountains, and the Northern lights — *Alaska: the last, and largest, frontier // JJ Krehbiel*

We all know Alaska is massive. But how big is Alaska, exactly? It’s one of those questions that sounds simple until you start looking at the numbers — and then your brain kind of breaks. In this guide, AlaskaExplored breaks down the true scale of the 49th state: its land mass, wildlife, climate, economy, and how it stacks up against other states and countries. By the end of this, you’ll never struggle to explain it again.

My Experience: Feeling the Size in Your Bones

a cameraman operates a slider on a frozen bay in Homer Alaska — *Somewhere in Alaska — probably took two days of travel just to get here // JJ Krehbiel*

For the past decade-plus, I’ve worked on all kinds of TV shows in just about every corner of the 49th state — from Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch to Disney’s Life Below Zero. I’ve seen firsthand the scale and magnitude of this place.

It’s hard to quantify Alaska’s size with stats and maps, although they certainly help — and we’ll get to that — but it really hits home when you’re inside it. I don’t think I fully appreciated just how big Alaska is until I spent most of my adult life getting bounced around the state from job to job, like that screensaver DVD logo trying to hit the corner of the TV.

Of course I knew Alaska was big, but I couldn’t wrap my head around how big until I actually traveled it. Just getting here takes a long time — then you have to get to where you’re going within the state, and that takes a long time too. When I book a job in Alaska, the production company pays for two days of travel. Anywhere else, it’s one. We all know corporations don’t like to spend money if they don’t have to — so the fact that Alaska forces Mickey Mouse to cough up a few extra bucks says a lot. No small feat.

Quick Alaska Size Facts

Before we dive deep, here’s your fast-reference cheat sheet:

Stat	Number
Total Area	663,267 square miles
Total Acreage	425.8 million acres
Coastline	6,640 miles
Population (2021)	731,545
Annual Visitors	~2 million
Highest Peak	Denali — 20,310 ft
Number of Lakes	3+ million (estimated)
National Park Acreage	32+ million acres
Bear Species	3 (black, brown/grizzly, polar)
Largest City	Anchorage

How Big Is Alaska, Exactly?

Alaska covers approximately 663,267 square miles, making it by far the largest state in the U.S. — and it’s not even close. It accounts for over 17% of the total land area of the entire United States and is bigger than the combined area of 22 other states.

The state stretches over 1,400 miles from east to west and another 1,400 miles from north to south. It spans five distinct climate zones, encompassing glaciers, fjords, rainforests, tundra, rivers, millions of lakes, and multiple mountain ranges — including the highest peak in all of North America.

Alaska is Massive. A map of Alaska onto of the lower 48.

How Many Acres Is Alaska?

I always appreciate how big Alaska is when I’m flying drones. Every tv show I shoot needs aerials, so it’s safe to say I’ve seen most of the state from the air, and nothing puts the size of Alaska into perspective better. It’s stunning and overwhelming just how big Alaska really is.

But for you numbers folks, we got those too:

Alaska has the most total acreage of any state in the U.S. — 425.8 million acres. Of that, over 33,904 miles is coastline, more than all other U.S. states combined. The next closest is Florida with about 8,436 miles.

A huge chunk of that acreage is water. Alaska is estimated to have over 3 million lakes, translating to around 28.8 million acres of fresh water. Minnesota loves to brag about being the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” They have around 15,000. Alaska has 3 million. Uff da!.

Caribou lake near Homer, one of Alaska's 3 million lakes. — *Caribou lake near Homer, one of Alaska’s 3 million lakes.* // JJ Krehbiel

When it comes to protected lands, nothing else comes close:

8 National Parks covering 32+ million acres (35 million including state parks)
Over 100 million acres of federally protected lands — wildlife refuges, wild and scenic rivers, conservation areas, and monuments
More protected land than most countries have in total

Not all of Alaska is wilderness. It’s also home to serious industrial infrastructure, including the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System — an 800-mile engineering marvel moving oil from Prudhoe Bay down to the port of Valdez.

Alaska Size Comparison: vs. Other U.S. States

Here’s how Alaska stacks up against other large U.S. states:

State	Square Miles
Alaska	663,267
Texas	268,597
California	163,696
Montana	147,040
New Mexico	121,590
Colorado	104,093
New York	54,556
Massachusetts	10,554

Alaska is bigger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.

How Big Is Alaska Compared to Texas?

This is the big one. Texans love to brag about their state’s size, and fair enough — Texas is massive. But Alaska makes Texas look like a rounding error.

Alaska: 663,267 square miles
Texas: 268,597 square miles

Texas could fit inside Alaska more than twice over. Alaska stretches over 1,400 miles in both directions. Texas is roughly 800 miles wide and 700 miles tall.

The population difference is equally wild. Alaska has around 730,000 residents. Texas has nearly 30 million. That’s a population density of about 1.3 people per square mile in Alaska, vs. about 114 in Texas.

Land ownership tells another story: 95% of Texas is privately owned, while more than half of Alaska is federally protected. These aren’t just two big states — they’re two completely different worlds.

The Alaskan Mountain Range. — *Just a fraction of Alaska’s 663,267 square miles // JJ Krehbiel*

Alaska’s Size: Five Climates in One State

*Same state, completely different worlds.”*

I remember working a job where one crew was stationed in Southeast Alaska and another was up in the interior — both shooting at the same time, one was wearing bunny boots and long johns, the other short sleeves and a light rain jacket. That’s Alaska for ya.

The state spans five distinct climate zones:

1. Maritime / Coastal (Southeast & Southcentral) Mild temps year-round, heavy precipitation, lush rainforests. Think Juneau, Ketchikan, Homer.

2. Transitional (Anchorage area) A mix of maritime and continental — milder than the interior, more variable than the coast.

3. Continental Interior Extreme swings. Temperatures can hit -60°F in winter and +90°F in summer. Fairbanks territory. Neither is fun when you’re trying to make television.

4. Arctic (North Slope) Permafrost, tundra, brutal cold, and almost no trees. Home to polar bears and the Brooks Range.

5. Bering Sea / Western Alaska Cold, windswept, and remote. The Aleutian Islands stretch over 1,200 miles into the Pacific.

Planning a trip and unsure where to go? Our Alaska Destinations Guide breaks down every region.

Alaska’s Size: Wildlife Diversity

How big is Alaska in wildlife terms? Enormous. The sheer size of the state, combined with its diverse climates and minimal human development, has created some of the most abundant wildlife populations on the planet.

Alaska has 98% of America's brown bear population — around 30,000. — *Alaska has 98% of America’s brown bear population — around 30,000*

Moose: ~175,000. A full-grown bull can top 1,600 lbs.
Brown Bears: Alaska holds 98% of America’s brown bear population — around 30,000 animals.
Sea Otters: Estimated 100,000+ in Alaskan waters.
Wolves: Alaska is home to roughly 2/3 of the entire U.S. wolf population — around 7,000–11,000.
Bald Eagles: Roughly 1/3 of America’s bald eagle population — about 150,000 birds with wingspans exceeding 8 feet.
Caribou: About 750,000 caribou roam the state. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd is one of the largest in the world.

*The Western Arctic Caribou Herd — one of the largest in the world // JJ Krehbiel*

Over 80 million acres of protected lands — including Denali National Park and ANWR — provide safe haven for all of it.

Want to see Alaskan wildlife up close? Here’s everything you need to know about Alaska’s wildlife and nature.

Wildlife viewing gear we actually use

🔭 Vortex Optics Diamondback Binoculars — essential for spotting bears, eagles, and otters at distance
📷 Canon EF 100-400mm Telephoto Lens — what we use for wildlife shooting in the field

Alaska’s Size: The Economy

Trans-Alaska Pipeline cutting through wilderness — *800 miles of engineering through some of the world’s most remote terrain*

Alaska’s size isn’t just a geographic curiosity — it directly fuels one of the most unique economies in America. The state sits on massive oil and natural gas reserves, and at its peak Alaska’s oil industry accounted for roughly 25% of total U.S. oil production.

That oil wealth led to one of the most unusual government programs in U.S. history: the Alaska Permanent Fund, established in 1976. The fund invests a portion of oil revenues, and the earnings pay an annual dividend to every eligible Alaska resident — just for living there. No other state does this. Some call it socialism. Others say it’s fair compensation for living somewhere this remote and extreme. Whatever you call it, it’s very Alaska.

On a per capita basis, Alaska ranks in the top 10 states for average personal income — not bad for a place with less than a million people.

Books about Alaska worth reading

📚 Alaska: A History by Claus-M. Naske — the definitive history of the 49th state
📚 Coming Into the Country by John McPhee — a classic portrait of life in the Alaskan wilderness
📚 Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner — stunning fiction set in the bush

Alaska Is So Big It Has Its Own Time Zone

You know you’ve made it when you get your own timezone. The Alaska Time Zone runs one hour behind the West Coast and four hours behind the East Coast. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established it, but Alaska didn’t fully consolidate until October 1983 — before that, the state was spread across four different time zones.

And here’s the kicker: Alaska still technically uses two time zones. Most of the state follows Alaska Standard Time, but the outer Aleutian Islands and St. Lawrence Island use Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time.

Bonus: The Alaskan King Size Mattress

The standard king mattress isn’t even the biggest option out there. The Alaskan King measures a staggering 9 feet by 9 feet — compared to a standard king’s roughly 6 by 6.5 feet.

It makes sense. In Utqiaġvik, Alaska’s northernmost city, the sun doesn’t rise for 60 straight days in winter. If you’re stuck inside that long, you’re going to want a big bed.

Internal Link: We wrote a whole piece on this — A l askan King Bed: A Bed Size as Large as the State

How Big Is Alaska Compared to Other Countries?

On a global scale, Alaska is larger than all but 18 countries on Earth:

Country	Square Miles
Alaska	663,267
Mexico	758,449
Indonesia	735,358
Iran	636,372
France	248,573
Japan	145,937
Germany	137,988
Italy	116,346
United Kingdom	93,628

Alaska is bigger than France, Germany, Italy, and the UK — combined.

World map with Alaska highlighted for size context

Who Are We?

AlaskaExplored has more than 25 years of combined experience traveling, working, and exploring the 49th state. Our work in television production has taken us all over the world, but nowhere more than Alaska — documenting stories for National Geographic, Discovery, Disney, and Animal Planet. We combine that firsthand experience with deep research to give you knowledge you can actually use. Learn more about the crew here.

Frequently Asked Questions: How Big Is Alaska?

How big is Alaska compared to other U.S. states? Alaska is the largest state in the U.S. by a massive margin — more than twice the size of Texas, the second-largest state, covering about 663,267 square miles.

How many acres is Alaska? Approximately 425.8 million acres total, with over 100 million acres of federally protected lands.

Could Texas fit inside Alaska? Yes — more than twice over. Alaska: 663,267 sq mi. Texas: 268,597 sq mi.

How big is Alaska compared to the entire United States? Alaska makes up over 17% of the total U.S. land area.

What is the population of Alaska? Just over 730,000 people — about 1.3 people per square mile, one of the lowest densities in the country.

How many time zones does Alaska have? Technically two — Alaska Standard Time for most of the state, and Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time for the outer Aleutian Islands.

What is the biggest city in Alaska? Anchorage, home to about 40% of the state’s total population.

How many national parks are in Alaska? Eight national parks covering over 32 million acres — more national park acreage than any other state.

How Big Is Alaska? Size, Facts & Mind-Blowing Comparisons