The map above shows Iowa and Italy side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Italy Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Italy has 113,568 square miles (294,140 km²). Italy's land area is 2.0 times (103%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Italy: 116,348 square miles (301,340 km²), including inland and coastal water. Italy's total area is 2.1 times (107%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Italy is 734 miles (1,181 km). Italy's north-south length is 3.4 times (240%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Italy spans 694 miles (1,117 km). Italy's east-west width is 2.1 times (107%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Italy's is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) at 15,778 feet (4,809 m). Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) is 14,109 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Italy's is Jolanda di Savoia at -10 feet. Italy's lowest point is 490 feet lower.
Iowa vs Italy Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Italy has 58,943,673 (2026). Italy's population is 18.2 times larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Italy: 519.0. Italy's population density is 8.9 times (795%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Italy's is Rome with 2,748,109. Rome's population is 12.9 times larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Italy's Metropolitan City of Rome (4,223,885). Metropolitan City of Rome's population is 4.2 times (322%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Italy: Unified as the Kingdom of Italy on March 17, 1861; a republic since 1946. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 15 years.
Iowa vs Italy Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Italy's $2,551.6 billion. Italy's economic output is 9.6 times (860%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Italy: $43,309. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.9 times (89%) higher than Italy's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Italy: $42,080 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 1.6 times (55%) higher than Italy's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Italy official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Italy 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.