The map above shows California and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Washington Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). California's land area is 2.3 times (135%) larger than Washington's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 2.3 times (130%) larger than Washington's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). California's north-south length is 3.2 times (220%) longer than Washington's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). California's east-west width is 1.8 times (77%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Whitney is 75 feet higher than Mount Rainier.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Washington Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). California's population is 5.0 times (395%) larger than Washington's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. California's population density is 2.1 times (111%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Los Angeles' population is 5.0 times (397%) larger than Seattle's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 3.1 times (212%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 39 years.
California vs Washington Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. California's economic output is 4.7 times (373%) larger than Washington's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.0 times (5%) higher than California's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). California and Washington have about the same average income.
California vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Washington has 39. California's county count is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 3.8 times (281%) larger than Okanogan County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 3.7 times (272%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). Los Angeles County's population is 4.2 times (317%) larger than King County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 2.2 times (119%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). Marin County's income is 1.5 times (48%) richer than King County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.2 times (20%) richer than Trinity County's.
California vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 0.54 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Washington 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.