The map above shows Illinois and British Columbia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs British Columbia Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while British Columbia has 357,216 square miles (925,186 km²). British Columbia's land area is 6.4 times (543%) larger than Illinois'.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs British Columbia: 364,764 square miles (944,735 km²), including inland and coastal water. British Columbia's total area is 6.3 times (530%) larger than Illinois'.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; British Columbia is 1,017 miles (1,637 km). British Columbia's north-south length is 2.6 times (161%) longer than Illinois'.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; British Columbia spans 1,245 miles (2,003 km). British Columbia's east-west width is 4.4 times (340%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); British Columbia's is Mount Fairweather at 15,299 feet (4,663 m). Mount Fairweather is 14,067 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; British Columbia's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. British Columbia's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs British Columbia Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while British Columbia has 5,658,528 (2026). Illinois' population is 2.2 times (125%) larger than British Columbia's.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs British Columbia: 15.8. Illinois' population density is 14.5 times higher than British Columbia's.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; British Columbia's is Vancouver with 662,248. Chicago's population is 4.1 times (311%) larger than Vancouver's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs British Columbia's Vancouver CMA (2,642,825). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 3.6 times (256%) larger than Vancouver CMA's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. British Columbia: Joined Confederation on July 20, 1871. In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 53 years.
Illinois vs British Columbia Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs British Columbia's $313.3 billion. Illinois' economic output is 3.7 times (266%) larger than British Columbia's.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs British Columbia: $55,241. Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.6 times (64%) higher than British Columbia's.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · British Columbia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All British Columbia 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.