Texas is the second largest state in the U.S. in total area, land and water combined, after Alaska.
In comparing the land area of various U.S. states, the vastness of Texas terrain stands out, showcasing its prominence in the nation’s geography.
Texas contains 267,277 square miles (694,920 sq km), but Alaska is much larger, with 615,230 square miles (1,599,598 sq km).
Put another way, Texas is bigger than the six New England states plus New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio combined.
Car trips across the state can take a while.
If you were to cross the state from near El Paso in the west to a point in Nelson County in the east, you’d travel 773 miles (1,245 km).
To go from the northernmost point in the Texas panhandle to the southernmost tip near Brownsville, you’d drive 801 miles (1,290 km).
Even though Texas ranks second (behind California) in population and has 3 of the 10 largest U.S. cities (Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio), the state has about the same number of people as the New York City metropolitan area.
