How Big Is West Virginia? See Its Size in Miles, Acres, and How It Compares to Other States

Fall Color, Summit Lake, Monongahela National Forest, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA
© Malachi Jacobs/Shutterstock.com

Written by Oak Simmons

Published: August 25, 2023

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West Virginia is a southern state that was admitted into the Union in 1863. It separated from Virginia during the Civil War, becoming the 35th U.S. state. It is the tenth-smallest U.S. state by area. This article explores West Virginia’s size in acres, square miles, and square kilometers. Additionally, it explores how West Virginia’s size compares to other U.S. states.

How Many Acres Is West Virginia?

West Virginia is 15,507,200 acres. That’s just over 15.5 million acres! One acre is equal to 0.0015625 square miles.

How Many Square Miles Is West Virginia?

West Virginia is 24,230 square miles in total area. 24,078 of those square miles are land, and 152 square miles are water. That means that West Virginia’s surface area is only 0.6% water.

How Many Square Kilometers Is West Virginia?

West Virginia is 62,755 square kilometers in total area. One kilometer is equal to 0.62 miles.

How Big Is West Virginia Compared to Other States?

Clearing by lake at Spruce Knob West Virginia

West Virginia is known for its lush forests and the stunning Appalachian Mountains.

©Ryan Breiding/Shutterstock.com

West Virginia is the 10th-smallest U.S. state. The largest state in the U.S. by area is Alaska, which is 665,384 square miles. Since West Virginia is 24,230 square miles, Alaska is over 25 times larger than West Virginia! Additionally, Alaska’s surface area is 13.77% water, compared to West Virginia’s 0.6%.

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by area, at 268,596 square miles. Despite its massive size, Texas is still 2.5 times smaller than Alaska. Let’s see how West Virginia measures up to Texas. Since West Virginia is 24,230 square miles, Texas is 11 times larger than West Virginia!

We know how West Virginia compares to the two largest states, but how does it compare to the smallest states? The smallest state in the U.S. is Rhode Island, at 1,545 square miles. West Virginia is a whopping 15 times larger than Rhode Island! Delaware is the second-smallest state in the U.S., at 2,489 square miles. West Virginia is nearly 10 times larger than Delaware!

West Virginia Size Table

AcresSquare MilesSquare Kilometers
15,507,20024,23062,755


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About the Author

Oak Simmons is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering North American wildlife and geography. They graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. A resident of Washington state, Oak enjoys tracking mammals and watching birds.

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