The map above shows Iowa and British Columbia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs British Columbia Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while British Columbia has 357,216 square miles (925,186 km²). British Columbia's land area is 6.4 times (540%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs British Columbia: 364,764 square miles (944,735 km²), including inland and coastal water. British Columbia's total area is 6.5 times (548%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; British Columbia is 1,017 miles (1,637 km). British Columbia's north-south length is 4.7 times (371%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; British Columbia spans 1,245 miles (2,003 km). British Columbia's east-west width is 3.7 times (272%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); British Columbia's is Mount Fairweather at 15,299 feet (4,663 m). Mount Fairweather is 13,630 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; British Columbia's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. British Columbia's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs British Columbia Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while British Columbia has 5,658,528 (2026). British Columbia's population is 1.7 times (75%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs British Columbia: 15.8. Iowa's population density is 3.7 times (267%) higher than British Columbia's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; British Columbia's is Vancouver with 662,248. Vancouver's population is 3.1 times (211%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs British Columbia's Vancouver CMA (2,642,825). Vancouver CMA's population is 2.6 times (164%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. British Columbia: Joined Confederation on July 20, 1871. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 25 years.
Iowa vs British Columbia Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs British Columbia's $313.3 billion. British Columbia's economic output is 1.2 times (18%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs British Columbia: $55,241. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (48%) higher than British Columbia's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · British Columbia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa 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.