ftflpfy of the- «ed States ovscnnigit

Bulletin No. 302 Series F, 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR

THE

AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES, THE

STATES, AND THE TERRITORIES

BY

HE3STR.Y G-ANNETT

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1906

ILLUSTRATION.

PLATE I. Map of the United States, defining the adopted limits of the gross 

area................................................................... 5

3

U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN NO.302 PL.I

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MAP OF THE UNITED STATES, DEFINING THE ADOPTED LIMITS OF THE GROSS AREA

Scale

100____ 200____ JQJ ___mo_____500

1906

JULIUS BIEN aCO.LITH N.Y.
THE AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES, THE STATES, AND THE

TERRITORIES.

By HENRY GANNETT.

In 1881 the Census Office published in an extra bulletin tables showing the areas of the United States and of the several States and Territories. The measurements and computations upon which these tables 

were based were made with care, according to methods described in 

the bulletin, and the results probably represented the areas as closely 

as they could be determined from the maps and charts of that time. 

In 1899 the General Land Office printed similar tables, which were 

also prepared with great care and thoroughness.

The tables presented in these two publications differ from each' 

other. Most of the differences are trifling, amounting to only a few 

square miles or a small fraction of 1 per cent, being well within the 

limits of error of the planimeter and of the maps used. Some of them, 

however, are considerable, and a few are explained by the fact that 

more recent maps, which changed the position of boundaries between 

States, had been used by the Land Office, and its measurement was, 

therefore, more nearly correct. Other discrepancies arose from differences in determining the coast lines; as an example of this, the Land 

Office measurement of the State of Washington included half of the 

Strait of Juan de Fuca, while that of the Census Office did not, involving a difference in area of 1,500 square miles.

Realizing the desirability of the Government issuing but one statement of areas of the States and Territories, the offices concerned, 

through their representatives, Mr. Frank Bond, chief draftsman of the 

General Land Office, Mr. C. S. Sloane, geographer of the Census Office, 

and myself, representing the Geological Survey, have been at work 

for several months in the endeavor to come to an agreement on these 

figures, and in the course of our discussion many new measurements 

have been made from the most recent and best maps. An agreement 

has been reached, the results of which are set forth in the accompanying table.

5
6 AEEAS OF STATES AND TERRITORIES.

By this adjustment the area of the United States proper is increased 

over the Census Office figures by 1,188 square miles, or about three 

one-hundredths of 1 per cent.

The question, "What constitutes the area of the United States?" 

is by no means a simple one. Jurisdiction extends to a line 3 

nautical miles from the shore, but this strip of sea can not properly 

be regarded as a part of the country. Supposing our country to be 

restricted to the sea and lake coast, there remains a question regarding 

the bays and estuaries. To what extent should the coast line be followed strictly, and where should we begin to jump across the indentations made by the sea? In this matter one can only follow his own 

judgment, making in each case as natural a decision as possible, as ho 

definite criterion can be established. This applies also to those States 

bordering the sea and the Great Lakes.

The method of measurement may be characterized in a few words. 

The areas of all square degrees included entirely within a State or the 

United States are taken from tables of such areas. Where a square 

degree is crossed by a boundary line, so that only part of it is included, 

both the part included and that excluded are measured from the best 

maps by planimeter, and the correctness of the measurement is.tested 

by comparing their sum with the tabular area of the square degree.

The entire boundary of the United States has now been mapped or 

charted with accuracy, so that, aside from uncertainties due to the 

interpretation of the coast line, there can be little or no question as 

to the correctness of the measurement of the country as a whole. 

The situation as regards the individual States is not so satisfactory, 

however, although the boundaries of most of them are now well 

mapped. Certain States are bounded by parallels and meridians, and 

the ascertainment of their areas is merely a matter of reference to 

tables of areas of square degrees, assuming that the boundary lines 

were accurately run and marked in accordance with the statute. The 

boundaries of a few of the States, however, have not been accurately mapped, and it is probable that changes will be made in the 

computed areas of these States.

The area of Alaska, measured in this office from the large Coast 

Survey chart, is subject to considerable modification in the future as 

the position of the coast line becomes better known.

The area given for the Philippine Islands is that determined by the 

Coast Survey of that archipelago, prepared at the instance of the 

Philippine Census and published hi that report. It also is subject to 

modification as accurate charts of the archipelago are made.

The areas of Hawaii and Porto Rico are probably subject to only 

slight change, as the charts from which they were measured are quite 

accurate.
AREAS OF STATES AND TERRITORIES.

The areas given for the other small possessions of the United 

States Guam, Samoa, and the Panama Canal strip will probably 

be changed in the future as their limits become more correctly defined.

Areas, in square miles, of the States and Territories.

State or Territory.

Alabama ......................................

District of Columbia. ...........................

Florida .......................................

irPArCTlft

Iowa.-. .......................................

Missouri ......................................

North Dakota .................................

Ohio .........................................

Oklahoma Territory .....................'....'...

Land surface.

51, 279

113, 840

52,525

156, 092

103, 658

4,820

1,965

60

54, 861

58, 725

83,779

56, 002

35, 885

30, 790

55, 586

81, 774

40, 181

45, 409

29, 895

9,941

8,039

57, 480

80, 858

46, 362

68, 727

145, 776

76,808

109, 821

9,031

7,514

122, 503

47, 654

48, 740

70,183

40, 740

38, 624

Water 

surface.

719

116

810

2,205

290

145

405

10

3,805

540

534

663

469

419

561

384

417

3,097

3,145

2,386

227

500

3,824

503

693

796

712

869

310

710

131

1,550

3,686

654

300

224

Total area.

51, 998

113, 956

53, 335

158, 297

103, 948

4,965

2,370

70

58, 666

59, 265

84, 313

56, 665

36, 354

31, 209

56, 147

82, 158

40, 598

48,506

33, 040

12, 327

8,266

57, 980

84, 682

46, 865

69, 420

146, 572

77, 520

110,690

9,341

8,224

122, 634

49, 204

52, 426

70,837

41, 040

38. 848
8 AREAS OF STATES AND TERRITORIES.

Areas, in square miles, of the States and Territories Continued.

State or Territory.

Oregon .......................................

Pennsylvania .................................

Rhode Island ..................................

South Carolina. ................................

South Dakota ...... ..\. .......................

Texas ........................................

Utah .........................................

Vermont ......................................

Virginia. ......................................

Washington ...................................

West Virginia. .................................

Wisconsin .....................................

Wyoming .....................................

Alaska ...........;............................

Guam ........................................

Hawaii .......................................

Panama Canal Zone ............................

Philippine Islands ..............................

Total.....................................

Land surface.

95, 607

44, 832

1,067

30, 495

76, 868

41, 687

262, 398

82, 184

9,124

40, 262

66, 836

24,022

55, 256

97, 594

2, 974, 159

Water 

surface.

1,092

294

181

4Q4

747

335

3,498

2,806

440

2,365

2,291

148

810

320

52, 630

Total area.

96, 699

45, 126

1,248

30,989

77, 615

42, 022

265, 896

84 990

Q *Sfi4.

42, 627

69, 127

24, 170

56, 066

97, 914

3, 026, 789 

590, 884

210

6, 449

474

115,026

3,435

77

3, 743, 344

Owing to their location adjoining ijie Great Lakes, the States 

enumerated below contain approximately an additional number of 

square miles as follows: 

Illinois......................... 1,674 square miles of Lake Michigan.

Indiana.

Michigan.

230 square miles of Lake Michigan. 

16,653 square miles of Lake Superior. 

12,922 square miles of Lake Michigan. 

9,925 square miles of Lake Huron.

460 square miles of Lakes St. Clair and Erie. 

Minnesota...................... 2,514 square miles of Lake Superior.

New York...................... 3,140 square miles, of Lakes Ontario and Erie.

Ohio........................... 3,443 square miles of Lake Erie.

Pennsylvania................... 891 square miles of Lake Erie.

Wisconsin I ^,378 square miles of Lake Superior.

7,500 square miles of Lake Michigan.
ABEAS OF STATES AND TERRITORIES. 9

In addition to the water areas noted above, California claims jurisdiction over all Pacific waters lying within 3 English miles of her 

coast; Oregon claims jurisdiction over a similar strip of the Pacific 

Ocean 1 marine league in width between latitude 42° N. and the 

mouth of the Columbia Elver; and Texas claims jurisdiction over a 

strip of Gulf water 3. leagues in width, adjacent to her coast between 

the Eio Grande and the Sabine Eiver.