The map above shows Iowa and China side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs China Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while China has 3,600,947 square miles (9,326,410 km²). China's land area is 64.5 times larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs China: 3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 km²), including inland and coastal water. China's total area is 65.8 times larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; China is 2,551 miles (4,105 km). China's north-south length is 11.8 times longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; China spans 3,040 miles (4,892 km). China's east-west width is 9.1 times (807%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); China's is Mount Everest at 29,032 feet (8,849 m). Mount Everest is 27,363 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; China's is Turpan Depression at -505 feet. China's lowest point is 985 feet lower.
Iowa vs China Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while China has 1,404,890,000 (2025). China's population is 433.4 times larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs China: 390.1. China's population density is 6.7 times (573%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; China's is Shanghai with 24,870,895. Shanghai's population is 116.7 times larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs China's Shanghai (29,558,908). Shanghai's population is 29.5 times larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. China: The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 103 years.
Iowa vs China Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs China's $19,498.0 billion. China's economic output is 73.4 times larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs China: $13,862. Iowa's GDP per capita is 5.9 times (492%) higher than China's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs China: $14,230 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 4.6 times (358%) higher than China's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · China official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All China 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.