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Because of the two states' shapes: IA is a roughly a compact rectangle (approx. 300 miles x 215 miles), while NY is a very oddly-shaped state, with protruberences jutting from its core in many directions. NY is kinda like FL in this regard. It's a long haul from Key West to Pensacola but it would be much shorter if FL was shaped more like IA or CO, or WY, etc.
Because of the two states' shapes: IA is a roughly a compact rectangle (approx. 300 miles x 215 miles), while NY is a very oddly-shaped state, with protruberences jutting from its core in many directions. NY is kinda like FL in this regard. It's a long haul from Key West to Pensacola but it would be much shorter if FL was shaped more like IA or CO, or WY, etc.
Make sense?
Your last post says the miles are larger for NY.
Am i missing something?
“Originally Posted by Ben Around
Yes, and another part of it is the shape of the states that fools me into thinking NY is larger than IA. But to drive from the NW corner to the SE corner of each state, it's roughly 516 miles for NY, and 430 miles for IA, and from the SW corner to the NE corner, it's roughly 485 miles for NY and 460 miles for IA. IA is pretty rectagular in shape, while NY is very uneven in shape.”
Three facts I read about Alaska:
Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the US combined.
Juneau is the second-largest city in the US in area, and it is accessible only by boat or plane.
Alaska is the only state name that can be typed in a single row on a keyboard.
“Originally Posted by Ben Around
Yes, and another part of it is the shape of the states that fools me into thinking NY is larger than IA. But to drive from the NW corner to the SE corner of each state, it's roughly 516 miles for NY, and 430 miles for IA, and from the SW corner to the NE corner, it's roughly 485 miles for NY and 460 miles for IA. IA is pretty rectagular in shape, while NY is very uneven in shape.”
New York's disparate points are farther from each other, but it takes up less total land area. Iowa is a big rectangle. New York has odd, far flung points jutting in different directions. If you had a state that was 1,000 miles from east to west, and only 2 miles north to south, it wouldn't be very large in total land area, despite it's far points being a long damn ways apart.
You would not think that standing in downtown Juneau, the size part.
No Alaska city should even be on that list. The entire concept of city limits is skewed in Alaska. Almost any town in the US, could have that much land mass if they incorporated 4,000 square miles of undeveloped land, state parks, water, and other disconnected communities 20 miles away. It would be like Honolulu annexing the entire Pacific Ocean and declaring itself the world's biggest city.
No Alaska city should even be on that list. The entire concept of city limits is skewed in Alaska. Almost any town in the US, could have that much land mass if they incorporated 4,000 square miles of undeveloped land, state parks, water, and other disconnected communities 20 miles away. It would be like Honolulu annexing the entire Pacific Ocean and declaring itself the world's biggest city.
You’re right! Although Juneau technically covers 3,254 square miles, most of it consists of unsettled wilderness. It has less than 12 persons per square mile. The “urban” portion of Juneau is only 14 square miles.
You’re right! Although Juneau technically covers 3,254 square miles, most of it consists of unsettled wilderness. It has less than 12 persons per square mile. The “urban” portion of Juneau is only 14 square miles.
True, but Sitka Alaska has 4,811 square miles. Wrangell and Anchorage are right behind. Jacksonville Florida, and Anaconda and Butte Montana also have inflated land masses. It looks like Oklahoma City has the largest land mass of actual urban area.
Not all of Oklahoma City is urban. There are also rural expanses within the city limits, per Oklahoman.com
Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Kansas City. Those cities have huge footprints, and can cover parts of multiple counties. Then there are cities with tiny footprints, such as Boston, Miami and San Francisco. It always kills me when people compare the cities that cover hundreds of square miles with the tiny ones. It’s apples and oranges.
“Originally Posted by Ben Around
Yes, and another part of it is the shape of the states that fools me into thinking NY is larger than IA. But to drive from the NW corner to the SE corner of each state, it's roughly 516 miles for NY, and 430 miles for IA, and from the SW corner to the NE corner, it's roughly 485 miles for NY and 460 miles for IA. IA is pretty rectagular in shape, while NY is very uneven in shape.”
Iowan Farmer said it better than I did below. It's all about the shape of the states.
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