The map above shows District of Columbia and Northern Territory side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Northern Territory Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Northern Territory has 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²). Northern Territory's land area is 8,538.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Northern Territory: 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²), including inland and coastal water. Northern Territory's total area is 7,622.2 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Northern Territory is 1,092 miles (1,758 km). Northern Territory's north-south length is 84.0 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Northern Territory spans 610 miles (981 km). Northern Territory's east-west width is 50.8 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Northern Territory's is Mount Zeil at 5,023 feet (1,531 m). Mount Zeil is 4,594 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Northern Territory's is Timor Sea at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Northern Territory Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Northern Territory has 265,457 (2025). District of Columbia's population is 2.6 times (165%) larger than Northern Territory's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Northern Territory: 0.5. District of Columbia's population density is 22,987.0 times higher than Northern Territory's.
Largest metro area: District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Northern Territory's Greater Darwin (159,284). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 40.4 times larger than Greater Darwin's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Northern Territory: Became a federal territory on January 1, 1911; self-governing since 1978. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 121 years.
District of Columbia vs Northern Territory Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Northern Territory's $22.4 billion. District of Columbia's economic output is 8.2 times (723%) larger than Northern Territory's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Northern Territory: $84,383. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.1 times (211%) higher than Northern Territory's.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Northern Territory official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Northern Territory 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.