Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area.
Alaska covers about 665,384 square miles of total area, making it more than twice the size of Texas, the second-largest state. It is also larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined when total area is compared.
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, shortly before Hawaii became the 50th state later that year. Its vast size and remote location make it a distinctive part of the American story approaching the 250th anniversary.
Alaska is sometimes mistakenly treated as the westernmost state only. Because the Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian, Alaska is also technically the easternmost U.S. state by longitude, as well as the northernmost and westernmost.