The map above shows Illinois and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Virginia Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). Illinois' land area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. Illinois' total area is 1.4 times (35%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). Illinois' north-south length is 1.7 times (75%) longer than Virginia's.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). Virginia's east-west width is 1.6 times (65%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Mount Rogers is 4,497 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Virginia's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs Virginia Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). Illinois' population is 1.4 times (44%) larger than Virginia's.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. Illinois and Virginia have about the same population density.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Chicago's population is 6.0 times (498%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 30 years.
Illinois vs Virginia Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. Illinois' economic output is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Virginia's.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. Illinois and Virginia have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: Illinois: $74,522 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Illinois and Virginia have about the same average income.
Illinois vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Illinois has 102 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Illinois'.
Biggest county by area: Illinois's largest county is McLean County at 1,183 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. McLean County's land area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area: Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). Putnam County's land area is 80.1 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Cook County's population is 4.5 times (346%) larger than Fairfax County's.
Least populous county: Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Hardin County's population is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county: Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Arlington County's income is 1.3 times (25%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county: Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Lawrence County's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than Sussex County's.
Illinois vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. Virginia's top rate is 0.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Illinois: 1.92% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. Illinois's rate is 1.21 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Illinois: 8.98% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. Illinois's combined rate is 3.21 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All 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.