US Paper Sizes

US Paper Sizes Explained

US paper sizes are based on traditional imperial measurements and differ entirely from the ISO 216 standard. They are used primarily in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The most common size is Letter (8.5 × 11 in).

📏 Complete US Paper Size Dimensions

Size	Inches	Millimetres	Centimetres
Letter	8.5 × 11 in	216 × 279 mm	21.6 × 27.9 cm
Legal	8.5 × 14 in	216 × 356 mm	21.6 × 35.6 cm
Tabloid	11 × 17 in	279 × 432 mm	27.9 × 43.2 cm
Ledger	17 × 11 in	432 × 279 mm	43.2 × 27.9 cm
Executive	7.25 × 10.5 in	184 × 267 mm	18.4 × 26.7 cm
Junior Legal	5 × 8 in	127 × 203 mm	12.7 × 20.3 cm
Half Letter	5.5 × 8.5 in	140 × 216 mm	14.0 × 21.6 cm
Government Letter	8 × 10.5 in	203 × 267 mm	20.3 × 26.7 cm
Government Legal	8.5 × 13 in	216 × 330 mm	21.6 × 33.0 cm

🔁 Convert Between US Sizes

🖥️ US Sizes in Pixels (300 DPI)

📏 US Letter vs A4

The most common question is the difference between US Letter and A4:

• US Letter: 8.5 × 11 in (216 × 279 mm) — slightly wider, slightly shorter
• A4: 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 in) — slightly narrower, slightly taller
• Area: A4 has a slightly larger total area
• Usage: Letter is standard in the US/Canada; A4 is standard globally

Read the full A4 vs Letter comparison →

Common Uses of US Paper Sizes

• Letter: Standard documents, letters, forms, business reports
• Legal: Legal contracts, court documents, real estate paperwork
• Tabloid / Ledger: Newspapers, menus, small posters, diagrams
• Executive: Personal stationery, executive reports, small booklets
• Government Letter / Legal: Government correspondence and forms

🔗 Related Series

• 📄 A-Series Sizes (global standard)
• 📐 B-Series Sizes
• ✉️ C-Series Sizes
• 📄 All Paper Sizes