The map above shows Illinois and Minnesota side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Minnesota Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Minnesota has 79,632 square miles (206,245 km²). Minnesota's land area is 1.4 times (43%) larger than Illinois'.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Minnesota: 86,943 square miles (225,182 km²), including inland and coastal water. Minnesota's total area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Illinois'.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Minnesota is 408 miles (657 km). Illinois and Minnesota have about the same north-south length.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Minnesota spans 360 miles (580 km). Minnesota's east-west width is 1.3 times (27%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Minnesota's is Eagle Mountain at 2,292 feet (699 m). Eagle Mountain is 1,060 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Minnesota's is Lake Superior at 601 feet. Illinois's lowest point is 309 feet lower.
Illinois vs Minnesota Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Minnesota has 5,793,151 (2024). Illinois' population is 2.2 times (119%) larger than Minnesota's.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Minnesota: 72.7. Illinois' population density is 3.1 times (215%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Minnesota's is Minneapolis with 428,579. Chicago's population is 6.3 times (535%) larger than Minneapolis'.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Minnesota's Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 2.5 times (150%) larger than Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. Minnesota: Admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state. In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 40 years.
Illinois vs Minnesota Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Minnesota's $507.7 billion. Illinois' economic output is 2.3 times (126%) larger than Minnesota's.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Minnesota: $87,636. Illinois and Minnesota have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: Illinois: $74,522 vs Minnesota: $75,603 average income per person (per capita personal income). Illinois and Minnesota have about the same average income.
Illinois vs Minnesota Counties
Number of counties: Illinois has 102 counties, while Minnesota has 87. Illinois' county count is 1.2 times (17%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest county by area: Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Minnesota's is St. Louis County at 6,248 square miles. St. Louis County's land area is 5.3 times (428%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area: Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Minnesota: Ramsey County (152 sq mi). Putnam County's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Ramsey County's.
Most populous county: Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Minnesota: Hennepin County (1,273,334 people). Cook County's population is 4.1 times (307%) larger than Hennepin County's.
Least populous county: Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Minnesota: Traverse County (3,134 people). Hardin County's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Traverse County's.
Richest county: Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Minnesota: Hennepin County ($100,352). Cumberland County and Hennepin County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Minnesota: Pine County ($48,677). Pine County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Lawrence County's.
Illinois vs Minnesota Taxes
State income tax: Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Minnesota has a top income tax rate of 9.85%. Minnesota's top rate is 4.9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Minnesota: 1.02% of home value per year. Illinois's rate is 0.9 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Minnesota: 8.14%. Illinois's combined rate is 0.84 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Minnesota official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Minnesota 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.