U.S. state profile · CA
California: area, population and density
California has 155,860 sq mi of land and a 2025 population estimate of 39,355,309; calculated population density is 97 people/km².
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files · 2026 · U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program · 2025.
California ranks 3rd of 51 by land area, 1st by population and 12th by calculated population density among the U.S. states and DC. Density uses the displayed population divided by land area converted to square kilometres.
- Land area
- 155,860 sq miU.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer Files · 2026
- Population
- 39,355,309U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program · 2025
- Calculated density
- 97 people/km²Population ÷ land area in km²
Reading the figures
California in the U.S. comparison set
California has 155,860 sq mi of land area and a population estimate of 39,355,309 for 2025. In the 51-place state and DC set, it is 3rd by land area, 1st by population, and 12th by calculated density.
Density is not a separately reported value here. It is calculated from the population and land area above, converted to square kilometres, so the result can be compared with supported country figures.
U.S. boundary outline: Census TIGER/Line 2025. The drawing is fitted to this profile panel; use a comparison page for a shared-area scale.