The map above shows Illinois and Maine side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Maine Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Maine has 30,845 square miles (79,888 km²). Illinois' land area is 1.8 times (80%) larger than Maine's.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Maine: 35,380 square miles (91,634 km²), including inland and coastal water. Illinois' total area is 1.6 times (64%) larger than Maine's.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Maine is 311 miles (501 km). Illinois' north-south length is 1.3 times (25%) longer than Maine's.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Maine spans 203 miles (327 km). Illinois' east-west width is 1.4 times (39%) wider than Maine's.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Maine's is Mount Katahdin at 5,253 feet (1,601 m). Mount Katahdin is 4,021 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Maine's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Maine's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs Maine Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Maine has 1,405,012 (2024). Illinois' population is 9.0 times (805%) larger than Maine's.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Maine: 45.6. Illinois' population density is 5.0 times (402%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Maine's is Portland with 69,568. Chicago's population is 39.1 times larger than Portland's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Maine's Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (571,534). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 16.5 times larger than Portland-South Portland, ME metro area's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. Maine: Admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as the 23rd state. In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 2 years.
Illinois vs Maine Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Maine's $99.2 billion. Illinois' economic output is 11.6 times larger than Maine's.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Maine: $70,586. Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Maine's.
Average income: Illinois: $74,522 vs Maine: $68,932 average income per person (per capita personal income). Illinois' average income is 1.1 times (8%) higher than Maine's.
Illinois vs Maine Counties
Number of counties: Illinois has 102 counties, while Maine has 16. Illinois' county count is 6.4 times (538%) higher than Maine's.
Biggest county by area: Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Maine's is Aroostook County at 6,671 square miles. Aroostook County's land area is 5.6 times (464%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area: Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Maine: Sagadahoc County (254 sq mi). Sagadahoc County's land area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Putnam County's.
Most populous county: Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Maine: Cumberland County (313,809 people). Cook County's population is 16.5 times larger than Cumberland County's.
Least populous county: Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Maine: Piscataquis County (17,432 people). Piscataquis County's population is 4.9 times (391%) larger than Hardin County's.
Richest county: Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Maine: Cumberland County ($90,142). Cumberland County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Maine: Franklin County ($52,725). Franklin County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Lawrence County's.
Illinois vs Maine Taxes
State income tax: Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Maine has a top income tax rate of 7.15%. Maine's top rate is 2.2 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Maine: 0.91% of home value per year. Illinois's rate is 1.01 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Maine: 5.5%. Illinois's combined rate is 3.48 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Maine official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Maine 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.