The map above shows District of Columbia and Puerto Rico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Puerto Rico Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Puerto Rico has 3,424 square miles (8,868 km²). Puerto Rico's land area is 56.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Puerto Rico: 3,515 square miles (9,104 km²), including inland and coastal water. Puerto Rico's total area is 51.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Puerto Rico is 67 miles (107 km). Puerto Rico's north-south length is 5.2 times (415%) longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Puerto Rico spans 174 miles (279 km). Puerto Rico's east-west width is 14.5 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Puerto Rico's is Cerro de Punta at 4,390 feet (1,338 m). Cerro de Punta is 3,961 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Puerto Rico's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Puerto Rico Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Puerto Rico has 3,285,874 (2020). Puerto Rico's population is 4.7 times (368%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Puerto Rico: 959.7. District of Columbia's population density is 12.0 times higher than Puerto Rico's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Puerto Rico's is San Juan with 342,259. Washington's population is 2.1 times (105%) larger than San Juan'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 Puerto Rico's San Juan metro area (2,233,177). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.9 times (188%) larger than San Juan metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Puerto Rico: A US territory since 1898; a commonwealth since 1952. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 108 years.
District of Columbia vs Puerto Rico Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Puerto Rico's $129.0 billion. District of Columbia's economic output is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Puerto Rico's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Puerto Rico: $40,650. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 6.5 times (546%) higher than Puerto Rico's.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Puerto Rico official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Puerto Rico 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.