If I were to ask you what is the largest city in the US, you'd no doubt respond that it is certainly New York City or, perhaps, Los Angeles. Everyone in the world believes these two cities to be the largest cities in America. And you'd all be wrong! Well, partly wrong anyway. Let me explain.
Whenever anyone says "largest city" we automatically think in terms of population. And in that respect NYC is, indeed, the largest city. But what about if you look at land area? Then you have a whole different answer. What would your guess be then?
Yakutat, Alaska is the largest in square miles. I'm bettin' you didn't see THAT one coming! I know I sure didn't. Yakutat, AK comprises a whopping 9, 459.28 square miles ((24,499 sq km). Of that area, 1,808.82 square miles is water (4,684.8 sq km) and 7,650.46 square miles is land (19,814.6 sq km). That means that this one Alaskan city is larger than the entire state of New Hampshire! (NH is the 4th smallest state in the US.) Yakutat was founded in 1948 but in 1992 the city government dissolved and it joined up with the Borough of Yakutat to become the country's largest city. it is known as the City and Borough of Yakutat.
Yakutat is located on the Gulf of Alaska near the Hubbard Glacier. It is also located near the Tongass National Forest, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Yakutat's skyline might not be able to boast big high rise buildings. But that doesn't mean that the largest US city isn't pretty spectacular. Their skyline is dominated by Mount St. Elias, the second tallest peak in the United States. The city's population, as of 2016, is 601...meaning overcrowding is not an issue.
So what do the folks in Yakutat do for fun? Fishing, both commercial and for fun is their largest industry. Salmon of all kinds inhabit their rivers and streams. Yakutat hosts a 3-day tern festival in late May or early June. The area has one of the largest breeding grounds for Aleutian terns. These birds are uncommon and haven't been studied very much. Its winter range wasn't even discovered until the 1980's. People also travel to Yakutat for hunting and wildlife viewing. I much prefer the later!
With its incorporation, Yakutat replaced Sitka, Alaska as the largest city. Sitka has replaced Juneau. "Yakutat is a perfect example of an "overbounded" city, which refers to a city that has boundaries that extend far beyond its developed area (certainly the glaciers and ice fields in the city won't be developed soon.) Meanwhile, back in the lower 48 states, Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city, land-wise, with a mere 840 square miles (2,175.6 sq. km).
I hope you enjoyed learning something about Alaska today. I find this kind of stuff fascinating and hope you do, too! Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for another lesson and visit from my dear friend The Dharma Frog. Until then, I wish you
PEACE.
Whenever anyone says "largest city" we automatically think in terms of population. And in that respect NYC is, indeed, the largest city. But what about if you look at land area? Then you have a whole different answer. What would your guess be then?
Yakutat, Alaska is the largest in square miles. I'm bettin' you didn't see THAT one coming! I know I sure didn't. Yakutat, AK comprises a whopping 9, 459.28 square miles ((24,499 sq km). Of that area, 1,808.82 square miles is water (4,684.8 sq km) and 7,650.46 square miles is land (19,814.6 sq km). That means that this one Alaskan city is larger than the entire state of New Hampshire! (NH is the 4th smallest state in the US.) Yakutat was founded in 1948 but in 1992 the city government dissolved and it joined up with the Borough of Yakutat to become the country's largest city. it is known as the City and Borough of Yakutat.
Yakutat is located on the Gulf of Alaska near the Hubbard Glacier. It is also located near the Tongass National Forest, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Yakutat's skyline might not be able to boast big high rise buildings. But that doesn't mean that the largest US city isn't pretty spectacular. Their skyline is dominated by Mount St. Elias, the second tallest peak in the United States. The city's population, as of 2016, is 601...meaning overcrowding is not an issue.
So what do the folks in Yakutat do for fun? Fishing, both commercial and for fun is their largest industry. Salmon of all kinds inhabit their rivers and streams. Yakutat hosts a 3-day tern festival in late May or early June. The area has one of the largest breeding grounds for Aleutian terns. These birds are uncommon and haven't been studied very much. Its winter range wasn't even discovered until the 1980's. People also travel to Yakutat for hunting and wildlife viewing. I much prefer the later!
With its incorporation, Yakutat replaced Sitka, Alaska as the largest city. Sitka has replaced Juneau. "Yakutat is a perfect example of an "overbounded" city, which refers to a city that has boundaries that extend far beyond its developed area (certainly the glaciers and ice fields in the city won't be developed soon.) Meanwhile, back in the lower 48 states, Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city, land-wise, with a mere 840 square miles (2,175.6 sq. km).
I hope you enjoyed learning something about Alaska today. I find this kind of stuff fascinating and hope you do, too! Don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for another lesson and visit from my dear friend The Dharma Frog. Until then, I wish you
PEACE.
Rosenberg, Matt. "Largest City in Area in the United States." ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2018, thoughtco.com/largest-city-in-area-united-states-1435564.
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