Wyoming is huge, the 10th largest state in the U.S. that feels even larger by being the least populated. Then there’s Rhode Island, which has been the smallest state in the United States since the U.S. was founded.

At 48 miles wide and 37 miles long, it has a total area of 1,545 square miles, but it still has about double the population of the Cowboy State.

At 97,813 square miles, Wyoming is more than 63 times larger. Yellowstone National Park alone is bigger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Not only that, each of Wyoming’s 23 counties is larger than Rhode Island, one of three states that can claim this, along with Arizona and Alaska.

But who’s keeping track? Rhode Islanders certainly aren’t.

“We view our size as an advantage,” Matthew Touchette, director of Communications for Rhode Island Commerce, told Cowboy State Daily. “You can drive from the southernmost point of the state to the northernmost point in about 45 to 50 minutes. That’s a single tank of gas to see all of Rhode Island.”

Compare that to Wyoming, were it often takes more time driving from town to town, let alone from border to border.

How Many Rhode Islands?

When comparing Rhode Island to every county in Wyoming, the story’s the same: they’re all bigger. Sometimes several times bigger.

Let’s take one from the middle of the list. Campbell County is the seventh-largest county in Wyoming at 4,802 square miles. That’s just over three Rhode Islands.

Even Wyoming’s smallest county, Hot Springs County, is more than 500 square miles larger than Rhode Island. Sweetwater County, the largest in Wyoming, is nearly seven times as big.

According to the 2020 Census, 47,026 people live in Campbell County, compared to 1.1 million in Rhode Island. If the population were correlated to size, there would be 3.3 million people living in Campbell County.

There are nearly two people in Rhode Island for every one in the entire state of Wyoming and more than 23 people for every one person in Campbell County.

Rhode Island has only five counties to Wyoming’s 23. However, Rhode Island’s counties haven’t had any governmental functions since 1846, and there are no local governments on the county level.

But there’s one thing both states have in common. As of 2025, Wyoming and Rhode Island have only one area code, 307 and 401, respectively.

Size Doesn’t Matter – Proximity Does

Touchette said Rhode Islanders don’t see their small size as anything but an advantage. Their state is small but has diversity and proximity in its favor.

“We’re a coastal state, so we have oceanfront communities with ocean access,” he said. “We have major cities and quaint, historic small towns, beaches, forests and state parks. There’s something for everybody here.”

Touchette also noted that anywhere in Rhode Island is less than an hour from Boston, Massachusetts, and less than two hours from New York City. This is attractive to many large employers and employees on the East Coast.

Touchette recommends Rhode Island for anyone who doesn’t want the hustle and bustle of “the big city” but still wants to be close enough to take advantage of opportunities.

“We have a lot of the same history and infrastructure as those big cities without all the traffic and craziness,” he said. “I don’t view our size as a disadvantage by any means.”

County Comparison

Wyoming’s more than a bit more spread out.

Gillette in Campbell County is two hours from Rapid City, South Dakota, three hours from Billings, Montana, and nearly four hours from Cheyenne. That’s not bad, considering the vastness of the Cowboy State.

A Campbell County Sheriff’s deputy couldn’t drive across Wyoming on a single tank of gas. They must top their tanks daily to ensure they complete their patrols without running out.

And those patrols have the agency covering an area the size of three Rhode Islands, meaning they cover triple the territory of their East Coast counterparts.

“Most of our officers fill up every single day when they go on shift and get off shift,” said Campbell County Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds. “We try not to let our vehicles get below half because we’ve had officers run out of fuel on high-speed chases.”

While Rhode Island has five counties, Campbell County has five districts that its deputies patrol. The mileage varies from officer to officer, but there’s a lot of ground to cover.

“We’ve got some mountainous terrain and a lot of flat areas, too,” he said. “We’re not as varied as other counties in our great state, but we’ve got a little bit of everything.”

Compared to Rhode Island, Campbell County might seem like another planet. Reynolds tries to wrap his head around how 1.1 million people fit in a state that’s three times smaller than his entire county.

“We’re the third-most populated county in Wyoming, and you still might only meet one or two vehicles in a 30-minute drive,” he said. “That’s a long way from backup when and where you need it.”

More People, More Problems

Rhode Island gets mocked for its size, while Wyoming gets mocked for its emptiness (and theoretically not existing). But there’s another piece of common ground between the vastly differently states — size is precisely what makes them the perfect places to call home.

“We’re very fortunate in Campbell County,” Reynolds said. “We have a great community, the commissioners ensure we have good vehicles and equipment, and our pay is comparable to other departments. I think many Wyoming communities and sheriff departments feel the same way.”

Rhode Islanders might enjoy being close enough to the big city action while staying close enough to step in as they’d like. Wyomingites are far from everything, which is how Reynolds and many others like it.

“More people, more problems,” Reynolds said. “That’s how we look at it. You get a little excitement, but you don’t get daily adrenaline dumps or feel like your life is in danger on a daily basis. There’s just enough people and plenty of space.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.