How Big Is Hawaii
Hawaii tends to lie slightly apart on most maps. It is not about size so much as isolation. California, the nearest major landmass, is still about 2,400 miles (3,860 km) away across open ocean, roughly the same distance as crossing the United States from New York to Los Angeles.
Hawaii became part of the United States in 1959, following Alaska.
The Hawaiian Islands extend for about 1,520 miles (2,450 km) across the Pacific and include 137 islands, reefs, and atolls in total. Most of these islands are small or uninhabited. Eight are generally considered the main Hawaiian Islands, although most of the state’s population lives on just a few of them.
The Big Island of Hawaii, with an area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km²), is the largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago, accounting for nearly two-thirds of Hawaii’s total land area.
Hawaii covers 6,423 square miles (16,635 km²) of actual land area (total area: 10,931 mi² or 28,311 km²), making it the 47th-largest US state. Only Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island have less land mass.
New York is about five times larger. Florida is roughly six times larger. California contains about fifteen Hawaiis.
Iceland is about 3.6 times larger than Hawaii. South Korea is close to around 3.5 times. Japan is more than thirteen times larger.
| Place | Area (sq mi) | Compared to Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 10,931 | 1× |
| New York | 54,556 | ~5× |
| Florida | 65,758 | ~6× |
| Colorado | 104,094 | ~9.5× |
| California | 163,696 | ~15× |
| Alaska | 665,384 | ~61× |
| Iceland | 39,769 | ~3.6× |
| South Korea | 38,691 | ~3.5× |
| Japan | 145,937 | ~13× |
| Spain | 195,364 | ~18× |
| France | 248,573 | ~23× |
| Madagascar | 226,658 | ~21× |
| Black Sea | ~168,500 | ~15× |
