The Desert Counties Bigger Than Small States
Without leaving the desert, one can visit a clowned-themed motel, a secret military base, and the lowest point in North America. These Western desert counties are bigger than the smaller states in the Eastern US, with the largest being bigger than 9 states. Ranging from over 20,000 to 10,000 square miles, these counties stretch across mining ghost towns, the lowest and highest points in the contiguous US, and a town that is at the center of extraterrestrial activity, at least according to UFO believers.
The biggest: San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County is the largest county in the lower 48 states, consisting of 20,105 square miles, larger than 9 US states, including Maryland, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Of the county's landmass, 94 percent of it is desert, 4 percent is mountains, and 2 percent is a valley which contains all the major population centers.
The reason for its size dates back to Mormon settlers who purchased a large ranch here in 1851. They aimed to incorporate both the ranch itself and the routes between Southern California and the important Mormon center of Salt Lake City, Utah. In April 1853, San Bernardino County was created out of portions of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Mariposa Counties.
The county is split between the North and East Desert regions, which are both part of the Mojave Desert, known for its salt flats, creosote bush, and Joshua trees. In addition to the deserts, San Bernardino County has the 11,503-foot-tall Mount San Gorgonio. This mountain is visible from up to 190 miles away, giving it the record for longest line of sight of any mountain in the lower 48 states.
Nye County, Nevada
Nye County, Nevada consists of 18,193 square miles, and almost all of it is managed directly by the federal government. In fact, about 93 percent of it is federal land, with 7 percent owned privately. The lack of private development is due to much of the county is desert, such as the Amargosa Desert, a basin between the Great Basin and Mojave Deserts.
It gets its name from the Amargosa River, which has been referred to as the Crown Jewel of the Mojave Desert for being the only free-flowing river in this region of the Mojave. It flows into one of the hottest places on Earth: Death Valley National Park. A small portion of the park is contained within Nye County.
The county seat of Nye County is the 20th-century mining community known as Tonopah, with much of the original mining equipment and tunnels located in the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. Despite being the county seat, it is so remote that the town is known for dark sky viewing at Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park. It also contains the quirkiest hotel in the US: the Clown Motel, which contains thousands of clown statues and artifacts.
Mohave County, Arizona
At 13,470 square miles, it's easy to tell that Mohave County is a desert region just by the name alone. A total of 75 percent of the county is covered by the Mojave Desert, with the Colorado River running through it, but toward its southeastern end, the Mojave Desert transitions into the lower elevation Sonoran Desert.
This county also sits within the edges of one of America's most beloved national parks: the Grand Canyon National Park, along with one of the best places to view it. From the Grand Canyon West Skywalk, one can step out onto a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that offers a view 4,000 feet down all the way to the floor of the canyon.
Also out in the deserts and surrounding Cerbat Mountains, one can find all varieties of ghost towns, such as Cerbat. Originally a prospector town in the 1870s, it was abandoned in the 20th century, and today leaves behind ruins, a warehouse, and a cemetery containing the graves of some of the original miners.
Lincoln County, Nevada
Lincoln County has a land area of 10,633 square miles according to the US Census, but the vast majority of it is empty, with an estimated population of 4,320 people as of July 2025. However, there are rumors that this Mojave Desert county may have many other residents from another planet.
This county is home to the military base of Area 51, a secretive base that wasn't officially acknowledged by the US government until 2013. This area was selected for its isolation in the Nevada Desert as a place to develop experimental aircraft. Many believe this military installation is actually used for analyzing captured UFOs. The closest community to Area 51 is the town of Rachel, which is known as the UFO Capital of the World for its number of UFO sightings.
Inyo County, California
Inyo County, California is the smallest county on this list with 10,197.3 square miles according to the Census. However, this still makes it larger than Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island. This county is a land of immense contrasts, containing both the highest point in the lower 48 and the lowest point.
Close to half the county lies in Death Valley National Park, including the lowest point in the US, Badwater Basin, located at 282 feet below sea level. This basin is the bed of an ancient evaporated body of water called Lake Manly, although in times of rare higher precipitation, this lake can reemerge, such as late in 2025, when the area saw record rains refilling this basin with a shallow layer of water.
However, on Inyo County's border with Tulare County, there stands the highest point in the US, outside of Alaska: Mount Whitney, a 14,505-foot-tall mountain that is part of the Sierra Nevada Range. Its eastern slopes are contained within the Inyo National Forest, while its western side sits in Sequoia National Park.
The geography makes these counties large
Out of all these counties, the only one to eclipse a million residents is San Bernardino County, with 2.2 million residents, with most living in the Valley Region, containing 3,266 people per square mile. This is far higher than the county's overall density of 110 people per square mile.
Across all of these counties, the majority is federally owned, meaning the county has to be large to manage all of it. While population density overall is quite low, these counties contain stunning landmarks and unanswered questions, such as alleged alien activity in Lincoln County and the low and high points of Inyo County.
