Which State Is Smaller Than South Dakota by Land Area?

Quiz challenge

By 2020 Census land area, which option is smaller than South Dakota?

A Kansas B Minnesota C North Dakota D Nebraska

Select an answer to continue.

The Great Plains region of the United States contains several sprawling heartland states known for expansive farmland, rolling prairies, and river valleys. When measuring physical footprint, geographic comparisons can often be tricky because total area includes inland waters, lakes, and reservoirs, whereas land area measures strictly dry terrain. According to official geographic measurements from the 2020 United States Census Bureau, South Dakota ranks sixteenth among all fifty states in land area, covering 75,811 square miles. Comparing South Dakota to its neighboring states reveals surprising differences in square mileage.

The correct answer

C) North Dakota

North Dakota is smaller than South Dakota, with a land area of approximately 69,001 square miles.

According to the 2020 Census Bureau geographic measurements, North Dakota encompasses a total land area of 69,001 square miles, making it noticeably smaller than South Dakota, which covers 75,811 square miles of land area. While both states were admitted to the Union on the exact same day in 1889 and share a long northern border, South Dakota stretches further across the northern plains. South Dakota holds a distinct size advantage over its northern twin, covering roughly 6,810 more square miles of land. Consequently, North Dakota stands out among the choices as the single option with a smaller land area than South Dakota.

Why each choice fits—or doesn’t

A) Kansas

Why it is not the answer: Kansas is incorrect because it has a significantly larger land area than South Dakota. Census Bureau data shows that Kansas encompasses 81,759 square miles of land area, placing it thirteenth overall among US states in land acreage. Known as the Sunflower State, Kansas stretches across 411 miles from east to west and 208 miles from north to south. Its expansive terrain across the central Great Plains easily exceeds South Dakota by nearly 6,000 square miles of land.

B) Minnesota

Why it is not the answer: Minnesota is incorrect because its land area exceeds that of South Dakota. Minnesota covers 79,627 square miles of land area, ranking fourteenth among all US states. Although Minnesota boasts over 7,300 square miles of inland water due to its famous abundance of lakes, its dry terrain alone remains substantially larger than South Dakota's total land footprint. Adding water area pushes Minnesota's total surface area up to 86,936 square miles, widening the gap even further.

C) North Dakota

Correct choice: North Dakota is the correct answer because its land area of 69,001 square miles is smaller than South Dakota's 75,811 square miles. Ranking seventeenth in total land area nationwide, North Dakota covers about 91 percent of the land space that South Dakota occupies. Its geography features the Red River Valley in the east, rolling drift prairie in the central region, and the rugged Badlands in the west, all fitting within a smaller boundary than its southern counterpart.

D) Nebraska

Why it is not the answer: Nebraska is incorrect because its land area is slightly larger than South Dakota's land area. The Census Bureau records Nebraska with 76,824 square miles of land area, making it the fifteenth-largest state by land surface. Stretching across the central plains directly south of South Dakota, Nebraska edges out South Dakota by just over 1,000 square miles of land. Its land includes vast agricultural tracts, the Sandhills, and the fertile Platte River basin.

More context

The land measurements established by the US Census Bureau rely on the TIGER system, which precisely calculates land and water boundaries down to individual square meters before converting measurements to square miles. These area rankings highlight interesting historical and geographic patterns across the West North Central states. Both North Dakota and South Dakota were created from the split of Dakota Territory when President Benjamin Harrison signed their statehood proclamations in 1889. Despite their shared heritage, boundary lines drawn during the nineteenth century gave South Dakota a broader footprint across the Missouri River valley and Black Hills region.

Quick facts

South Dakota has a land area of 75,811 square miles and a total area of 77,116 square miles including water.
North Dakota and South Dakota were both admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th and 40th states.
Kansas is the largest state by land area among the four choices, with 81,759 square miles of land area.
Nebraska edges out South Dakota in land area by approximately 1,013 square miles.

Sources

State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates — US Census Bureau Land area measurements for US states including South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, and Nebraska based on official Census Bureau data.
South Dakota – Census Data — US Census Bureau Official 2020 Census land area measurement for South Dakota of 75,807.9 square miles.
What's the largest U.S. state by area? — Encyclopaedia Britannica Total and land area rankings and square mileage for US states compiled from US Census Bureau figures.