The map above shows Arkansas and California side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs California Geography
Land area: Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while California has 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²). California's land area is 3.0 times (200%) larger than Arkansas'.
Total area: Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.1 times (208%) larger than Arkansas'.
Length: Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; California is 761 miles (1,224 km). California's north-south length is 3.1 times (213%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width: Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; California spans 706 miles (1,137 km). California's east-west width is 2.5 times (153%) wider than Arkansas'.
Highest point: Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); California's is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m). Mount Whitney is 11,732 feet higher than Mount Magazine.
Lowest point: Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; California's is Death Valley at -279 feet. California's lowest point is 334 feet lower.
Arkansas vs California Population and History
Population: Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while California has 39,431,263 (2024). California's population is 12.8 times larger than Arkansas'.
Population density: Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs California: 253.0. California's population density is 4.3 times (326%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city: Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; California's is Los Angeles with 3,878,704. Los Angeles' population is 18.9 times larger than Little Rock's.
Largest metro area: Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs California's Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 9.7 times (865%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History: Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state. California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. In its current form, Arkansas is the older of the two by 14 years.
Arkansas vs California Economy
GDP: Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs California's $4,048.1 billion. California's economic output is 21.5 times larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita: Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs California: $102,662. California's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (68%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income: Arkansas: $59,320 vs California: $86,232 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.5 times (45%) higher than Arkansas'.
Arkansas vs California Counties
Number of counties: Arkansas has 75 counties, while California has 58. Arkansas' county count is 1.3 times (29%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; California's is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 19.3 times larger than Union County's.
Smallest county by area: Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi). Lafayette County's land area is 11.3 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people). Los Angeles County's population is 24.3 times larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county: Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs California: Alpine County (1,099 people). Calhoun County's population is 4.3 times (327%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs California: Marin County ($190,891). Marin County's income is 1.6 times (58%) richer than Benton County's.
Poorest county: Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs California: Trinity County ($42,191). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (17%) richer than Lincoln County's.
Arkansas vs California Taxes
State income tax: Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%. California's top rate is 9.4 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs California: 0.71% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.19 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs California: 9.03%. Arkansas's combined rate is 0.45 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · California official website
More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All California 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.