Land Area Comparison
Geography

California vs Montana: Land Area

California is larger than Montana.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
163,696 sq mi
Total land area in square miles.
Montana flag
Montana
MT • West
147,040 sq mi
Total land area in square miles.

Visual Comparison

California 163,696 sq mi
Montana 147,040 sq mi

Difference: 16,656 sq mi — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for land area.

California #3 · 163,696 sq mi
Montana #4 · 147,040 sq mi
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Land Area

#1 Alaska flag Alaska
663,268 sq mi
#2 Texas flag Texas
268,596 sq mi
#3 California flag California
163,696 sq mi
#4 Montana flag Montana
147,040 sq mi
#5 New Mexico flag New Mexico
121,590 sq mi
#6 Arizona flag Arizona
113,990 sq mi
#7 Nevada flag Nevada
110,572 sq mi
#8 Colorado flag Colorado
104,094 sq mi
#9 Oregon flag Oregon
98,379 sq mi
#10 Wyoming flag Wyoming
97,813 sq mi

California ranks 3rd and Montana ranks 4th nationally for land area.

Related Context

Size in Context

Land area shapes population density, natural resources, climate variety, and travel distances.

What This Means

California vs Montana: Land Area in context

California has a land area of 163,696 sq mi, compared with 147,040 sq mi in Montana, a gap of 11.3%. Total land area in square miles.

California
163,696 sq mi
Montana
147,040 sq mi
Difference
16,656 sq mi

People Also Ask

California vs Montana Land Area — Common Questions

Q What is California's land area?

California's land area is 163,696 sq mi.

Q What is Montana's land area?

Montana's land area is 147,040 sq mi.

Q Which state has a higher land area — California or Montana?

California is larger than Montana.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.