Largest Cities in the U.S. by Area

Cities in the United States offer a rich tableau of diversity, not only in their culture, people, and landscapes, but also in their sizes. Spanning across the geographical breadth of the nation, some cities are renowned for their massive land areas, which often surprise those accustomed to densely populated urban centers. The dimensions of these cities are frequently a result of municipal mergers with their surrounding county governments, forming large consolidated city-counties, or in the unique case of Alaska, city-boroughs. 

• Dominating the top-rankings are Alaskan cities. The massiveness of Alaska's land area reflects in its cities, with Sitka topping the list at 2,870.3 mi², followed by Juneau, Wrangell, and Anchorage.
• Jacksonville, Florida, is the most expansive city in the contiguous United States, with a land area of 747.0 mi², significantly smaller than the smallest Alaskan city in the top rankings, Anchorage.
• Montana has two entries in the top ten, with Anaconda and Butte placing sixth and seventh respectively.
• Interestingly, the highly populous cities commonly associated with the idea of 'large cities,' such as New York or Los Angeles, do not appear in the top ten. The largest by area among regularly recognized metropolises are Oklahoma City, Houston, and Phoenix.