Verizon Coverage Quick Stats
Here are fast facts about Verizon coverage:
- Total coverage: 67.4%
- Total square miles covered: 2,246,127
- Total population covered: 327 million people (98.0)%
- 5G coverage: 14.5%
- 5G square miles covered: 484,321
- Population covered by 5G: 230 million people (69.0%)
This data comes from the signal strength data from the FCC and from Verizon directly.
Verizon Coverage Overview
Verizon is one of the major carriers in the U.S.
It is known as an MNO, or mobile network operator.
MNOs, such as Verizon, are carriers that build and operate their own cellular networks. These carriers purchase spectrum licenses from the FCC, put up or lease cell towers, and develop their own network cores to keep us all connected.
Verizon has three main cellular networks:
- Verizon LTE
- Verizon 5G Nationwide
- Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband
Verizon LTE
Verizon's LTE network is large and robust. It covers 67.4% of the U.S. and provides service to over 99% of Americans. Data speeds on Verizon LTE should be usable, but you may notice your connection slow down if you are in a crowded area.
Verizon 5G Nationwide
Verizon's 5G Nationwide network is the larger of its two 5G networks.
Verizon 5G nationwide uses low-band 5G frequencies to broadcast signal. These frequencies are known to travel farther distances, which helps with covering larger areas, but are also known to have slower speeds than other 5G frequencies.
You can expect similar performance on Verizon 5G Nationwide as on Verizon LTE.
Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband
Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network is by far its most impressive network.
Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband uses C-band and mmWave frequencies to deliver insanely fast speeds and provide service to numerous customers all at the same time.
In fact, the fastest-ever cellular speed tests submitted on the CoverageMap.com crowd-sourced speed test map are on the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network. The fastest speed ever recorded was an astonishing 5,466 Mbps down in Richmond, VA.
When you're connected to Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, typically denoted by a 5G UW icon in your phone's status bar, you can expect a premium network experience.
The C-band and mmWave frequencies do not travel as far as the low-band 5G frequencies though, so coverage on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband may be more limited than Verizon 5G Nationwide.
Still, despite coverage a smaller area, Verizon says its 5G Ultra Wideband network reaches over 222 million Americans.
How To Check Verizon Coverage
Cellular coverage varies a LOT by location.
You may be wondering, "how good is Verizon's coverage where I live?"
To find out how good Verizon's coverage is in your area, use our interactive map at the top of this page.
You can also download our free Coverage Map app for iPhone and Android.
Get the Free Coverage Map App
Measure your cellular data speeds. Compare cellular coverage. Completely free.
What network does Verizon use?
Verizon uses their own nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks to provide coverage.
Verizon 5G Coverage
According to FCC data, Verizon is behind when it comes to 5G.
Verizon 5G only covers 14.5% of the U.S., which is less than T-Mobile (36.0%) and AT&T (43.3%).
Still, you don’t need to cover a lot of land area to cover a lot of people. Verizon says its fast 5G Ultra Wideband network covers 222 million people, or around 60% of the U.S. population.
And Verizon’s more extensive Nationwide 5G network covers over 230 million people, or just over 69% of the U.S. population.
Verizon is still building out its 5G network. You can expect its coverage footprint to continue expanding.
If you haven’t tried Verizon’s network in a while, it may be worth taking advantage of Verizon’s 30 day free trial to test it out.
Verizon LTE Coverage
Verizon’s LTE network is nationwide and covers over 98% of the US population.
Verizon Coverage by State
Verizon's network covers an impressive 67.4% of the United States.
But how good is Verizon's coverage in each individual state?
Here is a detailed breakdown on how good Verizon's coverage is in each state. You will see the total percentage of each state the Verizon network covers, as well as a breakdown of great, good, and poor coverage:
Verizon 5G Coverage by State
Here is a breakdown of how good Verizon's 5G coverage is in each state:
Verizon Data Speeds by State
An important part of how good a cellular network is is how fast the network is.
How fast is Verizon's network?
We compiled our crowd-sourced speed test data to find out. In the case of Verizon, its median download speeds ranged from 11.1 Mbps in Alaska and up to 135.3 Mbps in Washington, DC. Median upload speeds on Verizon ranged from 6.6 Mbps in Mississippi to 24.6 Mbps in Rhode Island. And median ping performance on Verizon ranged from 26 ms to 128 ms.
Verizon vs. AT&T Coverage
Verizon has a bit less coverage than AT&T, but not by much.
According to FCC data, Verizon covers 67.4% of the land area in the U.S. while AT&T covers 78.1%.
In general the two networks are very similar and do an exceptional job covering cities and more populated areas:
5G coverage is a different story.
Verizon has measurably less 5G coverage than AT&T does.
Verizon only covers 14.5% of the U.S. with 5G, while AT&T has the most 5G coverage of any carrier right now. It covers an impressive 43.3% of the U.S. with 5G.
Data speeds on Verizon and AT&T are about the same.
According to data from our crowd sourced speed test map, Verizon's median download speeds are 61.23 Mbps and its median upload speeds are 11.65 Mbps.
AT&T's median download speeds are 61.17 Mbps and its median upload speeds are 11.29 Mbps, which is extremely similar to the performance on Verizon.
Both carriers will likely provide excellent coverage in and out of cities.
To figure out the best carrier in your area, you may want to try the check coverage tool and enter your ZIP code.
You can also check the AT&T coverage map to see what cell reception and data speeds on AT&T look like in your area.
Verizon vs. T-Mobile Coverage
Verizon coverage is better than T-Mobile coverage.
Verizon covers more of the United States than T-Mobile, with 67.4% total coverage compared to T-Mobile’s 46.6% total coverage.
However, Verizon has under one third as much 5G coverage as T-Mobile does.
Just 14.5% of area is covered by Verizon 5G, compared to 36.0% covered by T-Mobile 5G.
Verizon is also slower than T-Mobile.
According to our crowd-sourced speed test map, Verizon's median performance is 61.23 Mbps for download and 11.65 Mbps for upload.
T-Mobile gets over 2.4x faster download speeds. Its median download speeds are 152.34 Mbps. T-Mobile's median upload speeds are 17.34 Mbps.
Both Verizon and T-Mobile will likely perform well in cities, with T-Mobile delivering faster speeds.
When it comes to getting service in rural areas though, Verizon’s greater coverage footprint may make it a better option.
Check our T-Mobile coverage map to see what reception and data speeds on T-Mobile look like in your specific area.
Verizon Coverage Frequently Asked Questions
Is Verizon coverage good?
Verizon has the largest coverage area of any cellular network and covers over 99% of Americans. For most people, Verizon will have good coverage.
Does Verizon offer 5G?
Yes. Verizon offers Nationwide 5G and Ultra Wideband 5G. Nationwide 5G covers more people, and Ultra Wideband 5G delivers super fast data speeds.
Does Verizon have coverage in Canada?
Yes. All of Verizon's postpaid plans include unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of high-speed data per day in Canada.
Does Verizon have coverage in Mexico?
Yes. All of Verizon's postpaid plans include unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of high-speed data in Mexico.
Does Verizon have international coverage?
Verizon charges $10 per day for international service for most of their plans. The international add-on is called the TravelPass, and it includes unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of high-speed data per 24-hour period in the country you're visiting.