The map above shows California and North Dakota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs North Dakota Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while North Dakota has 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²). California's land area is 2.3 times (126%) larger than North Dakota's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2.3 times (132%) larger than North Dakota's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km). California's north-south length is 2.3 times (125%) longer than North Dakota's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km). California's east-west width is 1.7 times (73%) wider than North Dakota's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); North Dakota's is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m). Mount Whitney is 10,984 feet higher than White Butte.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; North Dakota's is Red River of the North at 754 feet. California's lowest point is 1,033 feet lower.
California vs North Dakota Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while North Dakota has 796,568 (2024). California's population is 49.5 times larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs North Dakota: 11.5. California's population density is 22.0 times higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; North Dakota's is Fargo with 136,285. Los Angeles' population is 28.5 times larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs North Dakota's Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 48.3 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 39 years.
California vs North Dakota Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs North Dakota's $80.1 billion. California's economic output is 50.5 times larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs North Dakota: $100,504. California and North Dakota have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs North Dakota: $71,749 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (20%) higher than North Dakota's.
California vs North Dakota Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while North Dakota has 53. California's county count is 1.1 times (9%) higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; North Dakota's is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 7.3 times (627%) larger than McKenzie County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 13.5 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people). Los Angeles County's population is 48.6 times larger than Cass County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs North Dakota: Slope County (660 people). Alpine County's population is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793). Marin County's income is 1.9 times (91%) richer than Dunn County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782). Trinity County's income is 1.2 times (25%) richer than Sioux County's.
California vs North Dakota Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%. California's top rate is 10.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs North Dakota: 0.96% of home value per year. North Dakota's rate is 0.25 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs North Dakota: 7.09%. California's combined rate is 1.94 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · North Dakota official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All North Dakota 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.