The map above shows District of Columbia and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Washington Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1,089.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 1,043.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Washington's north-south length is 18.3 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Washington's east-west width is 33.3 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 13,980 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Washington Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 11.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. District of Columbia's population density is 95.9 times higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 1.1 times (11%) 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 Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.6 times (55%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 99 years.
District of Columbia vs Washington Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 4.6 times (364%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Washington: $107,564. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 2.4 times (144%) higher than Washington's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Washington's.
District of Columbia vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Washington has 39. Washington's county count is 39.0 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; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 86.2 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 2.8 times (185%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 3.3 times (233%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). District of Columbia's population is 292.1 times larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than District of Columbia's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). District of Columbia's income is 2.2 times (120%) richer than Ferry County's.
District of Columbia vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.16 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 3.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Washington 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.