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Mexico vs United States: size comparison

Mexico fits into the United States 5.02 times: 755,677 sq mi (1,957,194 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 Mexico on top of United States at true size

5.02× Mexico fits into the United States 5.02 times

  • United States 3,795,967 sq mi below, in its real place
  • Mexico 755,677 sq mi on top, centered on the United States
  • Mexico 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 the United States: it preserves areas, so both appear in their true proportion. Mexico 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 dashed line is Mexico in its real place.

The figures

Figure Mexico United States
Area 755,677 sq mi 1,957,194 km² · World Bank 3,795,967 sq mi 9,831,510 km² · World Bank
Population 132 million World Bank, 2025 342 million World Bank, 2025
Density 175 per sq mi 67 per km² 90 per sq mi 35 per km²
End to end about 2,070 mi (3,330 km) about 2,890 mi (4,650 km)
Size rank 12th of 193 countries 3rd of 193 countries
Mercator enlarges it ×1.2 centered at 24° N ×2.3 centered at 40° N

Which is bigger, Mexico or the United States?

In the 19th century Mexico lost more than half of the territory it had, land that today forms US states such as Texas, California and New Mexico. Even so, it is still among the 15 largest countries in the world.

The difference is 3,040,290 sq mi (7,874,316 km²), roughly the size of Australia (2,988,902 sq mi).

Mexico is the 12th-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

Mexico has a population of 132 million and the United States 342 million (World Bank, 2025).

That’s 175 per sq mi (67 per km²) in Mexico and 90 per sq mi (35 per km²) in the United States: Mexico has 94% more people per square mile than the United States.

The United States has more land and more people too: 2.59 times as many as Mexico.

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. Mexico, centered at 24° N, comes out 1.2 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 9.55 times the space of Mexico, but in reality it’s 5.02 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 Mexico is about 2,070 mi (3,330 km), running west to east; 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 40% longer than Mexico.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mexico bigger than the United States?

No. Mexico covers 755,677 sq mi (1,957,194 km²) and the United States 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²): the United States is 5.02 times as big.

How many times does Mexico fit into the United States?

5.02 times: 3,795,967 sq mi (9,831,510 km²) divided by 755,677 sq mi (1,957,194 km²). These are the same areas as in the True size map (World Bank).

Which has more people, Mexico or the United States?

The United States: 342 million people versus 132 million (2.59 times as many). Per square mile, 175 per sq mi (67 per km²) in Mexico 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 1.2 times for Mexico. On an equal-area projection, like the map on this page, they appear in their true proportion.

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