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Canada vs United States: size comparison

Canada and the United States are almost exactly the same size: about 3,820,000 sq mi (9,890,000 km²) and 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²). Canada is just 0.6% bigger. 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 United States on top of Canada at true size

1.01× Almost the same size: 0.6% apart

  • Canada about 3,820,000 sq mi below, in its real place
  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi on top, centered on Canada
  • United States in its real place
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 Canada: it preserves areas, so both appear in their true proportion. The United States has been rotated across the globe, without changing its shape or size, until its center sits on the center of Canada.

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 dashed line is the United States in its real place.

The figures

Figure Canada United States
Area about 3,820,000 sq mi 9,890,000 km² · measured on the outline 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 41.7 million World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 11 per sq mi 4.2 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 3,450 mi (5,550 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 2nd of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×5.2 centered at 59° N ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, Canada or the United States?

Canada and the United States share the longest land border in the world and have almost the same area. For Canada we use the area measured on the outline, because the World Bank figure has been wrong since 2018; Statistics Canada gives 3,855,103 sq mi (9,984,670 km²), a little more.

The difference is only about 24,300 sq mi (63,000 km²), roughly the size of West Virginia (24,230 sq mi).

Canada is the 2nd-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

Canada has a population of 41.7 million and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 11 per sq mi (4.2 per km²) in Canada and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: the United States has 8.26 times as many people per square mile as Canada.

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. Canada, centered at 59° N, comes out 5.2 times bigger than it really is overall; the United States, at 40° N, 2.3 times.

That’s why on those maps Canada looks much bigger than the United States (2.27 times the space on paper), even though they are almost the same size.

That doesn’t happen on the map on this page: it uses an equal-area projection centered on Canada. 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 Canada is about 3,450 mi (5,550 km), running southwest to northeast; for the United States (without Alaska and Hawaii) it’s about 2,890 mi (4,650 km), southwest to northeast.

End to end, Canada is 19% longer than the United States.

Frequently asked questions

Is Canada bigger than the United States?

Yes, by a hair. Canada covers about 3,820,000 sq mi (9,890,000 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): Canada is 0.6% bigger.

How much bigger is Canada than the United States?

0.6%: 24,319 sq mi (62,986 km²) more, out of 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²). Overlaid, you can barely tell.

Which has more people, Canada or the United States?

The United States: 342 million people versus 41.7 million (8.21 times as many). Per square mile, 11 per sq mi (4.2 per km²) in Canada and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States.

Why does Canada look bigger on maps?

Because of the Mercator projection: Canada is farther from the equator (centered at 59° N), and that map enlarges its area 5.2 times, versus 2.3 times for the United States. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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