Russia vs United States: which one wins, and by how little?
Russia measures 8,082 km (5,022 mi) east to west, and the United States measures 8,056 km (5,006 mi) east to west. Russia leads by 26.7 km (16.6 mi), 0.3%, which is too little to see until the two share a ground line. Put the other way round, the United States covers 99.7% of Russia on the axis both are judged on. Russia and the United States are both written in thousands of kilometres, and the 0.3% between them is the whole of the difference.
| Object | Real size | Axis measured | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 8,082 km 5,022 mi |
East-west span | Widest extent of the outline on that axis |
| United States | 8,056 km 5,006 mi |
East-west span | Widest extent of the outline on that axis |
Both figures, Russia and United States, come from the Size It Up measurement set, one real-world size and one measured axis per object, last checked in September 2026; outline provenance is listed on the sources page.
Why this one is hard to judge by eye
The outline of Russia that most people carry comes from a world map, and every projection that keeps angles true stretches whatever sits far from the equator; the outline of the United States above is scaled from measured distances instead. A gap of 0.3% is invisible without a shared baseline: on the ground line above, the United States stops 26.7 km (16.6 mi) short of Russia.
What each figure covers
Russia. Russia is measured east to west. The span crosses eleven time zones, more than any other country, and about a quarter of it lies in Europe.
United States. The United States is measured east to west across the contiguous states. Adding Alaska and Hawaii would nearly double the span and describe nothing useful.
Russia and the United States are both quoted as an east-west span, which is what makes the ratio above a like-for-like figure.
What else is about that size?
Measured the same way, Russia at 8,082 km sits within two fifths of Mars at 6,792 km, Canada at 5,395 km and Indonesia at 5,049 km. United States at 8,056 km has Mars at 6,792 km, Canada at 5,395 km and Indonesia at 5,049 km for company, within two fifths. Swapping any of those in for Russia would move its ratio to the United States by less than 40%.