Palau vs US size comparison
How Big Is Palau Compared to the US?
The US is about 21,000 times the size of Palau. Drag Palau over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Palau vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Palau laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Palau
- 459 km² (177 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 21,000 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Rhode Island (4,001 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Palau 17,663; the US 341,784,857
- Palau's rank by area
- 182nd-largest of 197
How big Palau is compared with the US
The US is about 21,000 times the size of Palau: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 459 km² (177 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Palau about 18,000 times. Palau is smaller than every US state, even Rhode Island. It is the 182nd-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the 11th-largest of 14 in Oceania; the US is the third-largest.
Palau has about 17,700 people (2025), the 194th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. At 38 people per km², it is about as crowded as the US (35).
Palau and the US on a world map
Palau reaches from 3°N to 8°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 Palau about 1.02 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 48,000 times the size of Palau, when it is really about 21,000 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Palau is
Palau's capital, Ngerulmud, is 13,910 km (8,640 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Palau is an island country with no land borders.
Palau and US in numbers
| Palau | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 459 km² 177 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 21,424× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 17,663 | 341,784,857 | The US has 19,350× more |
| Rank by area | 182nd-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 38 | 35 | Palau is 1.11× denser |
| Capital | Ngerulmud | Washington, D.C. | 13,910 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 0 | 2 |
Palau compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Palau bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 21,000 times the size of Palau: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 459 km² (177 sq mi).
How many times would Palau fit into the US?
About 21,000 times (21,424). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 18,000 times.
Which US state is Palau closest in size to?
Rhode Island (4,001 km²). Rhode Island is about 8.7 times the size of Palau.
Is Palau bigger than Texas?
No. Texas is about 1,516 times the size of Palau.
Which has more people, Palau or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 19,000 times the 17,700 in Palau.
Why does Palau 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 Palau, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 48,000 times the size of Palau, not 21,000.
Where does Palau rank by size?
Palau is the 182nd-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the 11th-largest in Oceania. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Palau from the US?
Palau's capital, Ngerulmud, is 13,910 km (8,640 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.