The map above shows Colorado and Iowa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs Iowa Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while Iowa has 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²). Colorado's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 1.8 times (85%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; Iowa is 216 miles (347 km). Colorado's north-south length is 2.2 times (116%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km). Colorado's east-west width is 1.2 times (16%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); Iowa's is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m). Mount Elbert is 12,753 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; Iowa's is Mississippi River at 480 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 2,846 feet lower.
Colorado vs Iowa Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while Iowa has 3,241,488 (2024). Colorado's population is 1.8 times (84%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs Iowa: 58.0. Colorado and Iowa have about the same population density.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; Iowa's is Des Moines with 213,096. Denver's population is 3.4 times (242%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs Iowa's Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010). Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's population is 3.0 times (205%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 30 years.
Colorado vs Iowa Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs Iowa's $265.8 billion. Colorado's economic output is 2.1 times (110%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs Iowa: $81,998. Colorado's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (14%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs Iowa: $65,225 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado's average income is 1.3 times (27%) higher than Iowa's.
Colorado vs Iowa Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while Iowa has 99. Iowa's county count is 1.5 times (55%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; Iowa's is Kossuth County at 973 square miles. Las Animas County's land area is 4.9 times (391%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 11.5 times larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people). El Paso County's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people). Adams County's population is 4.8 times (383%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211). Pitkin County's income is 2.8 times (180%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134). Decatur County's income is 1.7 times (69%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs Iowa Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%. Colorado's top rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs Iowa: 1.29% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.8 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs Iowa: 6.94%. Colorado's combined rate is 0.95 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · Iowa official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado size comparisons · All Iowa 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.