The map above shows California and Russia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Russia Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Russia has 6,323,482 square miles (16,377,742 km²). Russia's land area is 40.6 times larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Russia: 6,601,670 square miles (17,098,246 km²), including inland and coastal water. Russia's total area is 40.3 times larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Russia is 2,968 miles (4,776 km). Russia's north-south length is 3.9 times (290%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Russia spans 3,852 miles (6,199 km). Russia's east-west width is 5.5 times (446%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Russia's is Mount Elbrus at 18,510 feet (5,642 m). Mount Elbrus is 4,026 feet higher than Mount Whitney.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Russia's is Caspian Sea shore at -92 feet. California's lowest point is 187 feet lower.
California vs Russia Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Russia has 146,028,325 (2025). Russia's population is 3.7 times (270%) larger than California's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Russia: 23.1. California's population density is 11.0 times higher than Russia's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Russia's is Moscow with 13,200,000. Moscow's population is 3.4 times (240%) larger than Los Angeles'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Russia's Moscow (14,524,753). Moscow's population is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Russia: The Russian Federation in its current form dates from December 25, 1991. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 141 years.
California vs Russia Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Russia's $2,561.3 billion. California's economic output is 1.6 times (58%) larger than Russia's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Russia: $17,547. California's GDP per capita is 5.9 times (485%) higher than Russia's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Russia: $15,960 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 5.4 times (440%) higher than Russia's.
Official Websites
California official website · Russia official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Russia 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.