The map above shows California and District of Columbia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs District of Columbia Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while District of Columbia has 61 square miles (158 km²). California's land area is 2,554.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2,395.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km). California's north-south length is 58.5 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km). California's east-west width is 58.8 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); District of Columbia's is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m). Mount Whitney is 14,055 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; District of Columbia's is Potomac River at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs District of Columbia Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while District of Columbia has 702,250 (2024). California's population is 56.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs District of Columbia: 11,493.5. District of Columbia's population density is 45.4 times higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; District of Columbia's is Washington with 702,250. Los Angeles' population is 5.5 times (452%) larger than Washington's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs District of Columbia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 60 years.
California vs District of Columbia Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs District of Columbia's $184.3 billion. California's economic output is 22.0 times larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs District of Columbia: $262,439. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 2.6 times (156%) higher than California's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs District of Columbia: $111,185 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.3 times (29%) higher than California's.
California vs District of Columbia Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while District of Columbia has 1. California's county count is 58.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; District of Columbia's is District of Columbia at 61 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 328.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi). District of Columbia's land area is 1.3 times (31%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people). Los Angeles County's population is 13.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people). District of Columbia's population is 639.0 times larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185). Marin County's income is 1.7 times (72%) richer than District of Columbia's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185). District of Columbia's income is 2.6 times (164%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs District of Columbia Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%. California's top rate is 2.55 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs District of Columbia: 0.63% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs District of Columbia: 6%. California's combined rate is 3.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · District of Columbia official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All District of 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.