El Salvador vs US size comparison
How Big Is El Salvador Compared to the US?
The US is about 467 times the size of El Salvador. El Salvador is about 8.7 times as densely populated. Drag El Salvador over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable El Salvador vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: El Salvador laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of El Salvador
- 21,041 km² (8,124 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 467 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- New Jersey (22,583 km²)
- Population (2025)
- El Salvador 6,365,503; the US 341,784,857
- El Salvador's rank by area
- 150th-largest of 197
How big El Salvador is compared with the US
The US is about 467 times the size of El Salvador: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 21,041 km² (8,124 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold El Salvador about 385 times. El Salvador is bigger than 3 of the 50 US states and smaller than the other 47; the state closest in size is New Jersey (22,583 km²). It is the 150th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the 13th-largest of 23 in North America; the US is the third-largest.
El Salvador has about 6 million people (2025), the 112th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 303 people per km² it is about 8.7 times as crowded as the US (35 per km²), the 31st-most densely populated country.
El Salvador and the US on a world map
El Salvador reaches from 13°N to 14°N; the US from 19°N to 71°N, with Hawaii in the south and Alaska in the far north. Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges places more the further they are from the Equator. It draws El Salvador about 1.06 times its real size and the US about 2.3 times (Alaska far more than Florida). So on a normal world map the US looks about 1,014 times the size of El Salvador, when it is really about 467 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where El Salvador is
El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, is 3,050 km (1,890 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. El Salvador borders 2 countries: Guatemala and Honduras.
El Salvador and US in numbers
| El Salvador | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 21,041 km² 8,124 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 467× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 6,365,503 | 341,784,857 | The US has 54× more |
| Rank by area | 150th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 303 | 35 | El Salvador is 8.7× denser |
| Capital | San Salvador | Washington, D.C. | 3,050 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 2 | 2 |
El Salvador compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is El Salvador bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 467 times the size of El Salvador: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 21,041 km² (8,124 sq mi).
How many times would El Salvador fit into the US?
About 467 times (467). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 385 times.
Which US state is El Salvador closest in size to?
New Jersey (22,583 km²). El Salvador is about the same size as New Jersey.
Is El Salvador bigger than Texas?
No. Texas is about 33 times the size of El Salvador.
Which has more people, El Salvador or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 54 times the 6 million in El Salvador.
Why does El Salvador look so small on a world map?
Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches places more the further they are from the Equator. The US is further from the Equator than El Salvador, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 1,014 times the size of El Salvador, not 467.
Where does El Salvador rank by size?
El Salvador is the 150th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the 13th-largest in North America. The US is the third-largest.
How far is El Salvador from the US?
El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, is 3,050 km (1,890 miles) from Washington, D.C. in a straight line.
Sources
- Areas: CIA World Factbook (total area, land and water). US states: US Census Bureau.
- Populations: World Bank, World Development Indicators (2025).
- Outlines are drawn on an equal-area projection, so their sizes on the map match their real areas.