Geography
California vs Texas: Land Area
Texas is larger than California.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for land area.
California
#3 · 163,696 sq mi
Texas
#2 · 268,596 sq mi
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Land Area
#1
Alaska
663,268 sq mi
Alaska
#2
Texas
268,596 sq mi
Texas
#3
California
163,696 sq mi
California
#4
Montana
147,040 sq mi
Montana
#5
New Mexico
121,590 sq mi
New Mexico
#6
Arizona
113,990 sq mi
Arizona
#7
Nevada
110,572 sq mi
Nevada
#8
Colorado
104,094 sq mi
Colorado
#9
Oregon
98,379 sq mi
Oregon
#10
Wyoming
97,813 sq mi
Wyoming
California ranks 3rd and Texas ranks 2nd 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 Texas: Land Area in context
Texas's land area is 268,596 sq mi, compared with 163,696 sq mi in California, a gap of 64.1%. Total land area in square miles.
California
163,696 sq mi
Texas
268,596 sq mi
Difference
104,900 sq mi
People also ask
California vs Texas Land Area — common questions
QWhat is California's land area?
California's land area is 163,696 sq mi.
QWhat is Texas's land area?
Texas's land area is 268,596 sq mi.
QWhich state has a higher land area — California or Texas?
Texas is larger than California.
QHow much more land area does Texas have compared to California?
104,900 sq mi.
More comparisons: California vs Texas
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
Current incorporated reference data
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Land area in square miles.