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Argentina vs United States: size comparison

Argentina fits into the United States 3.54 times: 1,073,518 sq mi (2,780,400 km²) versus 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²). Here you can see both overlaid at their true size, with their population, density and end-to-end distance.

By the Mapsfera Team

Map of Argentina on top of United States at true size

3.54× Argentina fits into the United States 3.54 times

  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi below, in its real place
  • Argentina 1,073,518 sq mi on top, centered on the United States
Move them in “True size map”

Drag both across a Mercator map and watch how they change with latitude.

Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the United States: it preserves areas, so both appear in their true proportion. Argentina has been rotated across the globe, without changing its shape or size, until its center sits on the center of the United States.

Alaska and Hawaii are not shown on the map (16% of the area of the United States), but they are included in the figures.

The figures

Figure Argentina United States
Area 1,073,518 sq mi 2,780,400 km² · World Bank 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 45.9 million World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 43 per sq mi 16 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 2,300 mi (3,700 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 8th of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×1.5 centered at 35° S ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, Argentina or the United States?

Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. It is very long from north to south, from the tropics to Tierra del Fuego, near Antarctica.

The difference is 2,722,449 sq mi (7,051,110 km²), roughly the size of Australia (2,988,902 sq mi).

Argentina is the 8th-largest country in the world, and the United States is the 3rd-largest.

Without Alaska and Hawaii, the United States covers about 3,060,000 sq mi (7,930,000 km²), measured on its outline.

Population and density

Argentina has a population of 45.9 million and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 43 per sq mi (16 per km²) in Argentina and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: the United States has 2.11 times as many people per square mile as Argentina.

The United States has more land and more people too: 7.45 times as many as Argentina.

Why they look different on a regular world map

On the Mercator projection, used by Google Maps and many world maps, everything gets bigger the farther it is from the equator. Argentina, centered at 35° S, comes out 1.5 times bigger than it really is overall; the United States, at 40° N, 2.3 times.

That’s why on those maps the gap looks bigger than it is: on paper the United States takes up 5.24 times the space of Argentina, but in reality it’s 3.54 times.

That doesn’t happen on the map on this page: it uses an equal-area projection centered on the United States. To move them across a Mercator map yourself, open them in the True size map.

From end to end

The longest straight line between two points of Argentina is about 2,300 mi (3,700 km), running south to north; for the United States (without Alaska and Hawaii) it’s about 2,890 mi (4,650 km), southwest to northeast.

End to end, the United States is 26% longer than Argentina.

Frequently asked questions

Is Argentina bigger than the United States?

No. Argentina covers 1,073,518 sq mi (2,780,400 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): the United States is 3.54 times as big.

How many times does Argentina fit into the United States?

3.54 times: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) divided by 1,073,518 sq mi (2,780,400 km²). These are the same areas as in the True size map (World Bank).

Which has more people, Argentina or the United States?

The United States: 342 million people versus 45.9 million (7.45 times as many). Per square mile, 43 per sq mi (16 per km²) in Argentina and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States.

Why does the United States look bigger on maps?

Because of the Mercator projection: the United States is farther from the equator (centered at 40° N), and that map enlarges its area 2.3 times, versus 1.5 times for Argentina. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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