Special Report
The Biggest Military Bases in the United States
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Published: November 27, 2023 3:17 pm
Last Updated: November 27, 2023 5:57 pm
With an estimated 750 bases across six continents — and troops deployed in 159 countries — the U.S. has a massive, global military footprint. Internationally, American military bases are used to project power, deter adversaries, and reassure allies. (This is the country with the most people in the military .)
Still, the bulk of American military power is concentrated within the United States. Across the 50 states and Washington D.C., there are hundreds of military bases home to nearly 1.2 million active-duty service members and their families, according to the Department of Defense’s report Demographics Profile of the Military Community. Used for training and maintaining troop readiness, many of these bases have populations comparable to a mid-size city. (This is the county in every state with the most people in the military. )
Using DoD military demographics data for 2019 — the most recent year of comprehensive base-level — 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s largest military bases. For the purposes of this story, only bases housing active-duty military personnel for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and DoD were considered.
Each of the 26 bases on this list are home to at least 10,000 active-duty military personnel. Including dependents and military families, some of these bases have over 100,000 people. The largest branch of the U.S. military by headcount, the Army controls most of these bases. The Air Force and Marine Corps each have only two bases on this list, while the Navy has five.
These bases include those used as basic training sites for these four military branches.
Here are America’s largest military bases.
26. Nellis AFB, Nevada
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,168 (89.2% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,937
Service branch: Air Force
Location: 8 miles from Las Vegas
25. Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,222 (21.5% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,697
Service branch: Navy
Location: 6 miles from Honolulu
24. Mayport NAVSTA, Florida
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,442 (15.7% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,013
Service branch: Navy
Location: 10 miles from Jacksonville
23. Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 10,721 (8.8% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,655
Service branch: Army
Location: San Antonio
22. Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,140 (39.8% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 26,041
Service branch: Army
Location: 15 miles from Baltimore
21. Fort Gordon, Georgia
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,220 (16.5% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 25,636
Service branch: Army
Location: 12 miles from Augusta
20. Fort Jackson, South Carolina
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 11,545 (28.4% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 20,589
Service branch: Army
Location: Columbia
19. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 12,218 (72.3% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 23,479
Service branch: Army
Location: 85 miles from Springfield
18. Fort Sill, Oklahoma
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 13,310 (59.2% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 26,189
Service branch: Army
Location: 90 miles from Oklahoma City
17. Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,057 (31.7% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 34,022
Service branch: Army
Location: 20 miles from Honolulu
16. Fort Drum, New York
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,195 (74.7% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 32,011
Service branch: Army
Location: 8 miles from Watertown
15. Fort Riley, Kansas
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,214 (69.8% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 33,295
Service branch: Army
Location: 50 miles from Topeka
14. Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 15,726 (72.8% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 21,875
Service branch: Navy
Location: 30 miles from Chicago
13. Fort Stewart, Georgia
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 19,476 (28.6% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 45,302
Service branch: Army
Location: 35 miles from Savannah
12. Lackland AFB, Texas
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 22,220 (18.2% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 42,521
Service branch: Air Force
Location: 5 miles from San Antonio
11. Fort Moore, Georgia
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 24,305 (35.7% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 46,785
Service branch: Army
Location: 5 miles from Columbus
10. Fort Carson, Colorado
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 24,520 (68.4% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 57,473
Service branch: Army
Location: 6 miles from Colorado Springs
9. Fort Bliss, Texas
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,100 (21.3% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 60,307
Service branch: Army
Location: El Paso
8. Fort Lewis, Washington
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,512 (44.6% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 62,831
Service branch: Army
Location: 12 miles from Tacoma
7. Fort Campbell, Kentucky
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 26,824 (83.1% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 62,977
Service branch: Army
Location: 50 miles from Nashville
6. San Diego NAVSTA, California
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 32,983 (20.0% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 66,557
Service branch: Navy
Location: San Diego
5. Fort Cavazos, Texas
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 36,697 (30.0% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 83,815
Service branch: Army
Location: Killeen
4. Camp Lejeune MCB, North Carolina
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 38,706 (37.1% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 72,106
Service branch: Marine Corps
Location: 3 miles from Jacksonville
3. Camp Pendleton, California
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 39,690 (24.0% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 70,700
Service branch: Marine Corps
Location: 35 miles from San Diego
2. Fort Liberty, North Carolina
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Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 45,055 (43.2% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 109,101
Service branch: Army
Location: 10 miles from Fayetteville
1. Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia
Active-duty personnel stationed at base: 47,368 (37.5% of mil. personnel in state)
All personnel assigned to base, incl. military family members: 100,893
Service branch: Navy
Location: Norfolk
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