When we speak of the largest cities in the US, there are two ways of looking at it. A city can be considered to be large based on its geographical area or based on its size of population.
The US is the third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada. The advent of rapid industrialization in the early 1900s led to massive influx of people from the villages to the cities, along with the transformation of small towns into big cities.
Largest Cities in the US by Area
If we classify the largest cities in the US in terms of area, then we have to take into account the geographical area that excludes water bodies and large marshlands. Accordingly, the largest cities in US, in terms of area (considering land mass only) are given next.
Sitka, Alaska
With a land area of 2,870 sq. mil, Sitka in Alaska is the largest city in US. It's area is four times that of Rhode Island.
Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, the capital of Alaska, has a land area of 2,702 sq. mi, which makes it the second largest city in the US.
Wrangell, Alaska
The third largest city in the US is Wrangell which has a land area of 2,541 sq mi.
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Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, the most populated city in Alaska, is the 4th largest city in the US, with a land area of 1707 sq. mi. Located in the southern-central part of the state, it contains more than 40% of the total population of Alaska.
Jacksonville, Florida
The largest city by area in the contiguous US, Jacksonville is the 5th largest city when whole of the US is considered, along with Alaska and Hawaii. It's land area is 747 sq. mi. It is also the most populous city of its state, Florida.
Top 10 largest cities in the US by land area
Sitka, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
Wrangell, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Jacksonville, Florida
Anaconda, Montana
Butte, Montana
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Houston, Texas
Phoenix, Arizona
Largest Cities in the US by Population
The United States of America has a population of around 325 million, making it the third most populous country in the world, behind China and India. Given next, are the largest cities in the US, in terms of population.
New York City, New York
A cultural and financial hub of the world, New York City is, by far, the most populated city in the US. With an estimate (2017) of 8.6 million people, it is one of the most populated megacities in the world.
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Los Angeles, California
The Creative Capital of the world, Los Angeles, is the second most populated city in the US. It has a population of around 3.9 million (2017 estimate).
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Chicago, Illinois
Considered as the birthplace of skyscrapers, Chicago is the third most populous city of the US with around 2.7 million residents (2017 estimate).
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Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth most populated city in the US, with a population of about 2.3 million (2017 estimate). It is the most populated city in southern United States.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, the fifth most populated city in the US, has a unique record of being the most populated state capital. With a population of 1.6 million (2017 estimate), it is the only state capital to have a population of more than one million.