This list ranks the top 150 U.S. cities (incorporated places) by land area. Total areas including water are also given, but when ranked by total area, a number of coastal cities appear disproportionately larger.
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
is an extreme example: water makes up nearly 40% of its total area of 89.63 square miles (125 km
2). In many cases an incorporated place is geographically large because its municipal government has merged with the government of the surrounding county. In some cases the county no longer exists, while in others the arrangement has formed a
consolidated city-county
In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana, borough in Alaska) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it has the governmental powers ...
(or city-
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in Alaska, or city-
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in Louisiana); these are shown in bold. Some consolidated city-counties, however, include multiple incorporated places. In such cases, this list presents only that portion (or “balance”) of such consolidated city-counties that are not a part of another incorporated place; these are indicated with asterisks (
*). Cities that are not consolidated with or part of any county are
independent cities
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor state ...
, indicated with two asterisks (
**). All data is from the
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
.
2020 Census Gazetteer Files
/ref>
See also
*United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
**Outline of the United States
The following Outline (list), outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States, United States of America:
General reference
*Pronunciation:
*Abbreviations: USA or US
*Common English country name: United State ...
**Index of United States-related articles
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States of America:
General reference
*Pronunciation:
*Abbreviations: USA or US
*Common English country name: United States
*Official English country na ...
**United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
***Demographics of the United States
The United States had an official estimated resident population of 333,287,557 on July 1, 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia but excludes the population of five unincorpo ...
**** Urbanization in the United States
**** List of US states and territories by population
**** List of US cities by population
**** Lists of US cities and metropolitan areas
**United States Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...
***Statistical area (United States)
The United States federal government defines and delineates the nation's metropolitan areas for statistical purposes, using a set of standard statistical area definitions. the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defined and delineated 3 ...
****Combined statistical area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...
(list
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
)
****Core-based statistical area
A core-based statistical area (CBSA) is a U.S. geographic area defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that consists of one or more counties (or equivalents) anchored by an urban center of at least 10,000 people plus adjacent counti ...
(list
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
)
*****Metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
(list
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
)
***** Micropolitan statistical area (list
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
)
* Largest cities in the United States by population by decade
*List of cities proper by population
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metrop ...
(most populous cities in the World)
*List of lists of settlements in the United States
The following is a set–index article, providing a ''list of lists'', for the cities, towns and villages within the jurisdictional United States. It is divided, alphabetically, according to the state, territory, or district name in which they ...
*List of United States cities by population density
The following is a list of incorporated places in the United States with a population density of over 10,000 people per square mile. As defined by the United States Census Bureau, an incorporated place is a place that has a self-governing local ...
*List of United States urban areas
This is a list of urban areas in the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau, ordered according to their 2010 census populations. An ''urbanized area'' (UA) is an urban area with population of 50,000 or more; an ''urban cluste ...
Notes
Gallery
References
{{Reflist
Area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an op ...
United States cities