The United States is 238 times bigger by total area compared to Switzerland: 3,794,100 sq mi vs 15,940 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of the United States is 3,531,839 sq mi vs 15,255 sq mi for Switzerland — a 231.5 times difference in territory size.
- Switzerland is ranked 131/197 by total surface area vs 3/197 for the United States.
- Switzerland occupies 0.03% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 6.14% for the United States.
- 37.8% of area in Switzerland is agricultural land vs 46.1% in the United States.
- Switzerland has 0.03% of the world's agricultural land area — the US has 8.83%.
- 32.4% of Switzerland is covered by forests, compared to 33.9% in the US.
- 0.03% of the world's forests are in Switzerland, and 7.67% are in the United States.
Total size and land area comparison
Switzerland
|
United States
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
15,940 sq mi |
3,794,100 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 238 |
| Total area rank | 131/197 | 3/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.008% | 1.93% |
| Land area |
15,255 sq mi |
3,531,839 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 231.5 |
| Land area rank | 131/197 | 3/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.03% | 6.14% |
| Population | 9,034,102 | 340,110,988 |
| Population density | 592 ppl/mi² | 96.3 ppl/mi² |
Size of territories by type
|
Switzerland
|
United States
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
4,940 sq mi |
1,196,125 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 32.4% | 33.9% |
| Forest area rank | 116/196 | 4/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.03% | 7.67% |
Agricultural land area
|
5,765 sq mi |
1,627,576 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 37.8% | 46.1% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 129/194 | 2/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.03% | 8.83% |
|
Arable land
|
1,531 sq mi |
585,190 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 10% | 16.6% |
| Arable land area rank | 130/191 | 2/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
97.7 sq mi |
12,242 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.64% | 0.35% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 144/192 | 14/192 |
|
Water area
|
685 sq mi |
262,262 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 4.3% | 6.91% |
| Water area rank | 97/197 | 3/197 |
| Roads length |
52,266 mi |
4,092,730 mi |
| Borders length |
1,100 mi |
7,458 mi |
| Coastline length |
0 mi |
12,380 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | n/a | 19% |
Size of Switzerland compared to states in USA
If Switzerland were a state in the US, it would be the 42nd biggest by land area: larger than Maryland, smaller than West Virginia, and 17.1 times smaller than the size of Texas.
| # | State | Land area |
Compared to
Switzerland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 570,641 sq mi | x37.4 |
| 2 | Texas | 261,232 sq mi | x17.1 |
| 3 | California | 155,779 sq mi | x10.2 |
| 4 | Montana | 145,546 sq mi | x9.54 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 121,298 sq mi | x7.95 |
| 6 | Arizona | 113,594 sq mi | x7.45 |
| 7 | Nevada | 109,781 sq mi | x7.2 |
| 8 | Colorado | 103,642 sq mi | x6.79 |
| 9 | Wyoming | 97,093 sq mi | x6.36 |
| 10 | Oregon | 95,988 sq mi | x6.29 |
| 11 | Idaho | 82,643 sq mi | x5.42 |
| 12 | Utah | 82,169 sq mi | x5.39 |
| 13 | Kansas | 81,759 sq mi | x5.36 |
| 14 | Minnesota | 79,627 sq mi | x5.22 |
| 15 | Nebraska | 76,824 sq mi | x5.04 |
| 16 | South Dakota | 75,811 sq mi | x4.97 |
| 17 | North Dakota | 69,001 sq mi | x4.52 |
| 18 | Missouri | 68,742 sq mi | x4.51 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 68,595 sq mi | x4.5 |
| 20 | Washington | 66,456 sq mi | x4.36 |
| 21 | Georgia | 57,513 sq mi | x3.77 |
| 22 | Michigan | 56,539 sq mi | x3.71 |
| 23 | Iowa | 55,857 sq mi | x3.66 |
| 24 | Illinois | 55,519 sq mi | x3.64 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 54,158 sq mi | x3.55 |
| 26 | Florida | 53,625 sq mi | x3.52 |
| 27 | Arkansas | 52,035 sq mi | x3.41 |
| 28 | Alabama | 50,645 sq mi | x3.32 |
| 29 | North Carolina | 48,618 sq mi | x3.19 |
| 30 | New York | 47,126 sq mi | x3.09 |
| 31 | Mississippi | 46,923 sq mi | x3.08 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 44,743 sq mi | x2.93 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 43,204 sq mi | x2.83 |
| 34 | Tennessee | 41,235 sq mi | x2.7 |
| 35 | Ohio | 40,861 sq mi | x2.68 |
| 36 | Virginia | 39,490 sq mi | x2.59 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 39,486 sq mi | x2.59 |
| 38 | Indiana | 35,826 sq mi | x2.35 |
| 39 | Maine | 30,843 sq mi | x2.02 |
| 40 | South Carolina | 30,061 sq mi | x1.97 |
| 41 | West Virginia | 24,038 sq mi | x1.58 |
| * |
Switzerland |
15,255 sq mi | * |
| 42 | Maryland | 9,707 sq mi | 0.64 |
| 43 | Vermont | 9,217 sq mi | 0.6 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 8,953 sq mi | 0.59 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | 7,800 sq mi | 0.51 |
| 46 | New Jersey | 7,354 sq mi | 0.48 |
| 47 | Hawaii | 6,423 sq mi | 0.42 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 4,842 sq mi | 0.32 |
| 49 | Puerto Rico | 3,459 sq mi | 0.23 |
| 50 | Delaware | 1,949 sq mi | 0.13 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | 1,045 sq mi | 0.07 |
| 52 | Guam | 209.7 sq mi | 0.01 |
| 53 | Northern Mariana Islands | 179.2 sq mi | 0.01 |
| 54 | US Virgin Islands | 133.7 sq mi | 0.009 |
| 55 | American Samoa | 76.4 sq mi | 0.005 |
| 56 | District of Columbia | 61 sq mi | 0.004 |
Switzerland vs United States size on the map
Land area in square miles
Land area
The map above outlines the borders of Switzerland and the United States but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it gets. More about countries' size projections.
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Size comparisons
Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.
Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.
Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.
Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.