The map above shows Iowa and Mexico side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Mexico Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Mexico has 750,561 square miles (1,943,945 km²). Mexico's land area is 13.4 times larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Mexico: 758,449 square miles (1,964,375 km²), including inland and coastal water. Mexico's total area is 13.5 times larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Mexico is 1,890 miles (3,041 km). Mexico's north-south length is 8.8 times (775%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Mexico spans 2,021 miles (3,252 km). Mexico's east-west width is 6.0 times (503%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Mexico's is Pico de Orizaba at 18,491 feet (5,636 m). Pico de Orizaba is 16,822 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Mexico's is Laguna Salada at -33 feet. Mexico's lowest point is 513 feet lower.
Iowa vs Mexico Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Mexico has 131,231,919 (2026). Mexico's population is 40.5 times larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Mexico: 174.8. Mexico's population density is 3.0 times (201%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Mexico's is Mexico City with 9,209,944. Mexico City's population is 43.2 times larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Mexico's Mexico City (17,734,212). Mexico City's population is 17.7 times larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Mexico: Independent from Spain since September 27, 1821. In its current form, Mexico is the older of the two by 25 years.
Iowa vs Mexico Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Mexico's $1,832.6 billion. Mexico's economic output is 6.9 times (589%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Mexico: $13,889. Iowa's GDP per capita is 5.9 times (490%) higher than Mexico's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Mexico: $13,730 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa's average income is 4.8 times (375%) higher than Mexico's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Mexico official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Mexico 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.