How San Bernardino County became the largest in contiguous U.S.
Department of Interior Land Office via The New York Times An undated photo provided by the Department of Interior Land Office of an 1874 map of Sou...
Department of Interior Land Office via The New York Times An undated photo provided by the Department of Interior Land Office of an 1874 map of Southern California, showing San Bernardino County in yellow. Stretching across more than 20,000 square miles, from the edge of the sprawling Los Angeles metropolis in the west to California's desert border with Nevada and Arizona in the east, San Bernardino County is by far the largest county in the lower 48 states. By Soumya Karlamangla, The New York Times Company Saturday, April 1, 2023 | 2 a.