The map above shows District of Columbia and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs West Virginia Geography
Land area
- District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²).
- West Virginia's land area is 394.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area
- District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- West Virginia's total area is 354.5 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length
- District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km).
- West Virginia's north-south length is 18.8 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width
- District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km).
- West Virginia's east-west width is 23.0 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point
- District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m).
- Spruce Knob is 4,434 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point
- District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet.
- District of Columbia's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
District of Columbia vs West Virginia Population and History
Population
- District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024).
- West Virginia's population is 2.5 times (152%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density
- District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6.
- District of Columbia's population density is 156.2 times higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city
- District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482.
- Washington's population is 15.1 times larger than Charleston'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 West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489).
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 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.
- West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state.
- In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 73 years.
District of Columbia vs West Virginia Economy
GDP
- District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion.
- District of Columbia's economic output is 1.7 times (73%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita
- District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156.
- District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 4.4 times (336%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income
- District of Columbia: $111,185 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- District of Columbia's average income is 2.0 times (101%) higher than West Virginia's.
District of Columbia vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties
- District of Columbia has 1 counties, while West Virginia has 55.
- West Virginia's county count is 55.0 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; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles.
- Randolph County's land area is 17.0 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi).
- Hancock County's land area is 1.4 times (35%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 4.0 times (304%) larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people).
- District of Columbia's population is 142.6 times larger than Wirt County's.
Richest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542).
- District of Columbia's income is 1.6 times (58%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county
- District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039).
- District of Columbia's income is 3.2 times (217%) richer than Webster County's.
District of Columbia vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax
- District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
- District of Columbia's top rate is 5.93 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year.
- District of Columbia's rate is 0.11 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%.
- West Virginia's combined rate is 0.6 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · West Virginia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.