The map above shows District of Columbia and Nova Scotia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Nova Scotia Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Nova Scotia has 20,594 square miles (53,338 km²). Nova Scotia's land area is 337.6 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Nova Scotia: 21,345 square miles (55,284 km²), including inland and coastal water. Nova Scotia's total area is 312.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Nova Scotia is 342 miles (550 km). Nova Scotia's north-south length is 26.3 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Nova Scotia spans 338 miles (544 km). Nova Scotia's east-west width is 28.2 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Nova Scotia's is White Hill at 1,749 feet (533 m). White Hill is 1,320 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Nova Scotia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Nova Scotia Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Nova Scotia has 1,090,074 (2026). Nova Scotia's population is 1.6 times (55%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Nova Scotia: 52.9. District of Columbia's population density is 217.3 times higher than Nova Scotia's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Nova Scotia's is ''Halifax'' with 439,819. Washington's population is 1.6 times (60%) larger than ''Halifax'''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 Nova Scotia's Halifax CMA (465,703). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 13.8 times larger than Halifax CMA's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Nova Scotia: Joined Confederation on July 1, 1867, as one of the four founding provinces. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 77 years.
District of Columbia vs Nova Scotia Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Nova Scotia's $47.7 billion. District of Columbia's economic output is 3.9 times (286%) larger than Nova Scotia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Nova Scotia: $44,056. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 6.0 times (496%) higher than Nova Scotia's.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Nova Scotia official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Nova Scotia 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.