The map above shows Illinois and Texas side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Texas Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Texas has 261,259 square miles (676,657 km²). Texas' land area is 4.7 times (371%) larger than Illinois'.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Texas: 268,599 square miles (695,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Texas' total area is 4.6 times (364%) larger than Illinois'.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Texas is 808 miles (1,300 km). Texas' north-south length is 2.1 times (107%) longer than Illinois'.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Texas spans 777 miles (1,250 km). Texas' east-west width is 2.7 times (175%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Texas's is Guadalupe Peak at 8,730 feet (2,661 m). Guadalupe Peak is 7,498 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Texas's is Gulf of Mexico at 0 feet. Texas's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs Texas Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Texas has 31,290,831 (2024). Texas' population is 2.5 times (146%) larger than Illinois'.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Texas: 119.8. Illinois' population density is 1.9 times (91%) higher than Texas'.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Texas's is Houston with 2,390,125. Chicago's population is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Houston's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Texas's Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (8,344,032). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. Texas: Admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845, as the 28th state. In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 27 years.
Illinois vs Texas Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Texas's $2,769.8 billion. Texas' economic output is 2.4 times (141%) larger than Illinois'.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Texas: $88,517. Illinois and Texas have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: Illinois: $74,522 vs Texas: $69,823 average income per person (per capita personal income). Illinois' average income is 1.1 times (7%) higher than Texas'.
Illinois vs Texas Counties
Number of counties: Illinois has 102 counties, while Texas has 254. Texas' county count is 2.5 times (149%) higher than Illinois'.
Biggest county by area: Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Texas's is Brewster County at 6,184 square miles. Brewster County's land area is 5.2 times (423%) larger than McLean County's.
Smallest county by area: Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Texas: Rockwall County (127 sq mi). Putnam County's land area is 1.3 times (26%) larger than Rockwall County's.
Most populous county: Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Texas: Harris County (5,009,302 people). Cook County and Harris County have about the same population.
Least populous county: Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Texas: Loving County (48 people). Hardin County's population is 74.0 times larger than Loving County's.
Richest county: Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Texas: Loving County ($220,625). Loving County's income is 2.1 times (110%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Texas: Starr County ($34,180). Lawrence County's income is 1.3 times (28%) richer than Starr County's.
Illinois vs Texas Taxes
State income tax: Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Texas has no state income tax. Illinois's top rate is 4.95 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Texas: 1.31% of home value per year. Illinois's rate is 0.61 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Texas: 8.2%. Illinois's combined rate is 0.78 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Texas official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Texas 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.