#usageography

Rhode Island is smaller than some US counties but it has an Ivy League school, a mansion row built by the Vanderbilts, and the longest official state name in the country

so you want the facts about the smallest states in the US. here they are, ranked, with the one detail about each that genuinely surprises people:

Rhode Island (#1 smallest, 1,034 sq mi) — it is smaller than many individual US counties. San Bernardino County in California alone is 20 times larger. but Rhode Island has Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Newport’s Gilded Age mansions, and the longest official state name in the US.

Delaware (#2, 1,949 sq mi) — this tiny state is home to more than 1.8 million registered businesses, including over 60% of all Fortune 500 companies.

Connecticut (#3, 4,842 sq mi) — the Insurance Capital of the World. Yale University opened in 1701.

New Jersey (#4, 7,354 sq mi) — the most densely populated state in the entire country.

Vermont (#6, 9,216 sq mi) — produces more than HALF of all the maple syrup made in the United States.

Massachusetts (#7, 10,554 sq mi) — Harvard, MIT, the American Revolution, and a global biotech hub.

And the fact most people get wrong: Wyoming is often called the “smallest state” because it has the lowest population. But Wyoming is actually the 10th LARGEST state by area. Population and size are completely different rankings.

The USA Leaders published the full top 10 with individual profiles, key facts, and a complete data table.