The map above shows California and Colorado side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Colorado Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Colorado has 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²). California's land area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Colorado's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.6 times (57%) larger than Colorado's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Colorado is 467 miles (751 km). California's north-south length is 1.6 times (63%) longer than Colorado's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km). California's east-west width is 1.8 times (82%) wider than Colorado's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Colorado's is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m). Mount Whitney is 62 feet higher than Mount Elbert.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Colorado's is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet. California's lowest point is 3,605 feet lower.
California vs Colorado Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Colorado has 5,957,493 (2024). California's population is 6.6 times (562%) larger than Colorado's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Colorado: 57.5. California's population density is 4.4 times (340%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Colorado's is Denver with 729,019. Los Angeles' population is 5.3 times (432%) larger than Denver's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Colorado's Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 4.2 times (324%) larger than Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 26 years.
California vs Colorado Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Colorado's $557.6 billion. California's economic output is 7.3 times (626%) larger than Colorado's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Colorado: $93,602. California's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Colorado's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Colorado: $83,055 average income per person (per capita personal income). California and Colorado have about the same average income.
California vs Colorado Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Colorado has 64. Colorado's county count is 1.1 times (10%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Colorado's is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 4.2 times (320%) larger than Las Animas County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi). San Francisco County's land area is 1.4 times (42%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people). Los Angeles County's population is 13.0 times larger than El Paso County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people). Alpine County's population is 1.5 times (47%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044). Pitkin County's income is 1.4 times (44%) richer than Marin County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232). Trinity County's income is 1.5 times (55%) richer than Crowley County's.
California vs Colorado Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%. California's top rate is 8.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Colorado: 0.49% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.22 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Colorado: 7.89%. California's combined rate is 1.14 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Colorado official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Colorado 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.