Tonga vs US size comparison
How Big Is Tonga Compared to the US?
The US is about 13,000 times the size of Tonga. Tonga is about 4 times as densely populated. Drag Tonga over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Tonga vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Tonga laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Tonga
- 747 km² (288 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 13,000 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Rhode Island (4,001 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Tonga 103,742; the US 341,784,857
- Tonga's rank by area
- 177th-largest of 197
How big Tonga is compared with the US
The US is about 13,000 times the size of Tonga: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 747 km² (288 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Tonga about 11,000 times. Tonga is smaller than every US state, even Rhode Island. It is the 177th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the ninth-largest of 14 in Oceania; the US is the third-largest.
Tonga has about 103,700 people (2025), the 184th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 139 people per km² it is about 4 times as crowded as the US (35 per km²), the 68th-most densely populated country.
Tonga and the US on a world map
Tonga reaches from 22°S to 16°S; 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 Tonga about 1.13 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 27,000 times the size of Tonga, when it is really about 13,000 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Tonga is
Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, is 12,150 km (7,550 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Tonga is an island country with no land borders.
Tonga and US in numbers
| Tonga | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 747 km² 288 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 13,164× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 103,742 | 341,784,857 | The US has 3,295× more |
| Rank by area | 177th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 139 | 35 | Tonga is 4× denser |
| Capital | Nuku'alofa | Washington, D.C. | 12,150 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 0 | 2 |
Tonga compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Tonga bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 13,000 times the size of Tonga: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 747 km² (288 sq mi).
How many times would Tonga fit into the US?
About 13,000 times (13,164). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 11,000 times.
Which US state is Tonga closest in size to?
Rhode Island (4,001 km²). Rhode Island is about 5.4 times the size of Tonga.
Is Tonga bigger than Texas?
No. Texas is about 931 times the size of Tonga.
Which has more people, Tonga or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 3,295 times the 103,700 in Tonga.
Why does Tonga 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 Tonga, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 27,000 times the size of Tonga, not 13,000.
Where does Tonga rank by size?
Tonga is the 177th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the ninth-largest in Oceania. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Tonga from the US?
Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, is 12,150 km (7,550 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.