The largest U.S. Courts of Appeals
Which U.S. Court of Appeals is the largest?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has seated more judges than any other federal appellate court: 119 across its history (51 currently serving).
The thirteen federal appellate courts ranked by the number of judges who have served on them across their history.
| # | Name | Detail | Judges |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | 51 currently serving | 119 |
| 2 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | 24 currently serving | 91 |
| 3 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | 28 currently serving | 83 |
| 4 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | 32 currently serving | 82 |
| 5 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | 24 currently serving | 77 |
| 6 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit | 16 currently serving | 68 |
| 7 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit | 15 currently serving | 66 |
| 8 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | 18 currently serving | 65 |
| 9 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | 19 currently serving | 57 |
| 10 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | 23 currently serving | 47 |
| 11 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 22 currently serving | 42 |
| 12 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | 19 currently serving | 40 |
| 13 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit | 12 currently serving | 37 |
Questions
- Which U.S. Court of Appeals is the largest?
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has seated more judges than any other federal appellate court: 119 across its history (51 currently serving).
- What are the top five?
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (119), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (91), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (83), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (82) and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (77).
- How is this list ranked?
- The thirteen federal appellate courts ranked by the number of judges who have served on them across their history.
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Computed from the FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-09-30. Verify against the primary source before relying.