The map above shows West Virginia and British Columbia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
West Virginia vs British Columbia Geography
Land area: West Virginia has a land area of 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²), while British Columbia has 357,216 square miles (925,186 km²). British Columbia's land area is 14.9 times larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²) vs British Columbia: 364,764 square miles (944,735 km²), including inland and coastal water. British Columbia's total area is 15.1 times larger than West Virginia's.
Length: West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km) long from north to south; British Columbia is 1,017 miles (1,637 km). British Columbia's north-south length is 4.2 times (315%) longer than West Virginia's.
Width: West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km) east to west; British Columbia spans 1,245 miles (2,003 km). British Columbia's east-west width is 4.5 times (351%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: West Virginia's highest point is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m); British Columbia's is Mount Fairweather at 15,299 feet (4,663 m). Mount Fairweather is 10,436 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point: West Virginia's lowest point is Potomac River at 240 feet; British Columbia's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. British Columbia's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
West Virginia vs British Columbia Population and History
Population: West Virginia has a population of 1,769,979 (2024), while British Columbia has 5,658,528 (2026). British Columbia's population is 3.2 times (220%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: West Virginia: 73.6 people per square mile vs British Columbia: 15.8. West Virginia's population density is 4.7 times (366%) higher than British Columbia's.
Biggest city: West Virginia's biggest city is Charleston with 46,482 people; British Columbia's is Vancouver with 662,248. Vancouver's population is 14.2 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: West Virginia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs British Columbia's Vancouver CMA (2,642,825). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.4 times (144%) larger than Vancouver CMA's.
History: West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. British Columbia: Joined Confederation on July 20, 1871. In its current form, West Virginia is the older of the two by 8 years.
West Virginia vs British Columbia Economy
GDP: West Virginia's GDP is $106.5 billion (2024) vs British Columbia's $313.3 billion. British Columbia's economic output is 2.9 times (194%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: West Virginia: $60,156 per person vs British Columbia: $55,241. West Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (9%) higher than British Columbia's.
Official Websites
West Virginia official website · British Columbia official website
More Size Comparisons
All West Virginia 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.