The map above shows Alaska and Northwest Territories side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs Northwest Territories Geography
Land area: Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while Northwest Territories has 456,792 square miles (1,183,085 km²). Alaska's land area is 1.3 times (25%) larger than Northwest Territories'.
Total area: Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs Northwest Territories: 519,734 square miles (1,346,106 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alaska's total area is 1.3 times (28%) larger than Northwest Territories'.
Length: Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; Northwest Territories is 1,310 miles (2,107 km). Northwest Territories' north-south length is 1.1 times (9%) longer than Alaska's.
Width: Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; Northwest Territories spans 990 miles (1,593 km). Alaska's east-west width is 1.6 times (56%) wider than Northwest Territories'.
Highest point: Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); Northwest Territories's is Mount Nirvana at 9,098 feet (2,773 m). Denali is 11,137 feet higher than Mount Nirvana.
Lowest point: Alaska's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; Northwest Territories's is Arctic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Alaska vs Northwest Territories Population and History
Population: Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while Northwest Territories has 45,257 (2024). Alaska's population is 16.4 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
Population density: Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs Northwest Territories: 0.1. Alaska's population density is 13.0 times higher than Northwest Territories'.
Biggest city: Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; Northwest Territories's is Yellowknife with 20,340. Anchorage's population is 14.2 times larger than Yellowknife's.
Largest metro area: Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 people) vs Northwest Territories's Yellowknife CMA (20,340). Anchorage, AK metro area's population is 20.0 times larger than Yellowknife CMA's.
History: Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state. Northwest Territories: Became a Canadian territory on July 15, 1870. In its current form, Northwest Territories is the older of the two by 89 years.
Alaska vs Northwest Territories Economy
GDP: Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs Northwest Territories's $3.7 billion. Alaska's economic output is 19.4 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
GDP per capita: Alaska: $96,695 per person vs Northwest Territories: $82,646. Alaska's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Northwest Territories'.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · Northwest Territories official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alaska size comparisons · All Northwest Territories size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.