The map above shows District of Columbia and Pennsylvania side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Pennsylvania Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Pennsylvania has 44,742 square miles (115,882 km²). Pennsylvania's land area is 733.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Pennsylvania: 46,054 square miles (119,279 km²), including inland and coastal water. Pennsylvania's total area is 673.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Pennsylvania is 284 miles (458 km). Pennsylvania's north-south length is 21.8 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Pennsylvania spans 307 miles (495 km). Pennsylvania's east-west width is 25.6 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Pennsylvania's is Mount Davis at 3,210 feet (978 m). Mount Davis is 2,781 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Pennsylvania's is Delaware River at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Pennsylvania Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Pennsylvania has 13,078,751 (2024). Pennsylvania's population is 18.6 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Pennsylvania: 292.3. District of Columbia's population density is 39.3 times higher than Pennsylvania's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Pennsylvania's is Philadelphia with 1,573,916. Philadelphia's population is 2.2 times (124%) larger than Washington'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 Pennsylvania's Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (6,330,422). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area have about the same population.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Pennsylvania: Admitted to the Union on December 12, 1787, as the 2nd state. In its current form, Pennsylvania is the older of the two by 3 years.
District of Columbia vs Pennsylvania Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Pennsylvania's $1,007.9 billion. Pennsylvania's economic output is 5.5 times (447%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Pennsylvania: $77,062. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.4 times (241%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Pennsylvania: $70,678 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.6 times (57%) higher than Pennsylvania's.
District of Columbia vs Pennsylvania Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Pennsylvania has 67. Pennsylvania's county count is 67.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; Pennsylvania's is Lycoming County at 1,229 square miles. Lycoming County's land area is 20.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Pennsylvania: Montour County (130 sq mi). Montour County's land area is 2.1 times (113%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Pennsylvania: Philadelphia County (1,573,916 people). Philadelphia County's population is 2.2 times (124%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Pennsylvania: Cameron County (4,348 people). District of Columbia's population is 161.5 times larger than Cameron County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Chester County ($110,883). District of Columbia and Chester County have about the same income.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Pennsylvania: Forest County ($30,234). District of Columbia's income is 3.7 times (268%) richer than Forest County's.
District of Columbia vs Pennsylvania Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Pennsylvania has a top income tax rate of 3.07%. District of Columbia's top rate is 7.68 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Pennsylvania: 1.16% of home value per year. Pennsylvania's rate is 0.53 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Pennsylvania: 6.34%. Pennsylvania's combined rate is 0.34 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Pennsylvania official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Pennsylvania 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.