Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
How much was the Louisiana Purchase?
Introduction References & Edit History
Images
Map of the United States highlighting the Louisiana Purchase territory in tan, spanning the central part of the country from the Gulf of Mexico northward, bordered by British Territory to the northwest, Spanish Territory to the southwest, and Spanish Florida to the southeast. Eastern U.S. states and the Great Lakes are labeled, with a compass rose in the lower left corner.
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Map of the United States highlighting the Louisiana Purchase territory in tan, spanning the central part of the country from the Gulf of Mexico northward, bordered by British Territory to the northwest, Spanish Territory to the southwest, and Spanish Florida to the southeast. Eastern U.S. states and the Great Lakes are labeled, with a compass rose in the lower left corner.
Louisiana Purchase The United States doubled its size in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase.

How much was the Louisiana Purchase?

Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

The Louisiana Purchase transferred control of the Louisiana Territory—a vast land area extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the British North American colonies (Canada)—from France to the United States in 1803. In return for the territory, the United States agreed to pay France $15 million (80 million francs), in part by assuming $3,750,000 (20 million francs) in debt owed by France to U.S. citizens. The payments were facilitated through the sale of bonds to two large financial institutions in London and Amsterdam, which the United States repaid at a 6 percent interest rate. By the time of the final repayment in 1823, the United States had spent a total of $27,267,622. The Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the land area of the United States, adding 828,000 square miles (2,144,520 square km) of land at a cost of less than three cents per acre.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica