The map above shows Iowa and Scotland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Scotland Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Scotland has 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.9 times (86%) larger than Scotland's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Scotland: 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.9 times (87%) larger than Scotland's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Scotland is 440 miles (708 km). Scotland's north-south length is 2.0 times (104%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Scotland spans 313 miles (504 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.1 times (7%) wider than Scotland's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Scotland's is Ben Nevis at 4,413 feet (1,345 m). Ben Nevis is 2,744 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Scotland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Scotland's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Scotland Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Scotland has 5,480,000 (2022). Scotland's population is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Scotland: 182.1. Scotland's population density is 3.1 times (214%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Scotland's is Glasgow with 632,350. Glasgow's population is 3.0 times (197%) larger than Des Moines'.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Scotland: A country within the United Kingdom; a kingdom from the 9th century until the 1707 union with England. In its current form, Scotland is the older of the two by 1,003 years.
Iowa vs Scotland Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Scotland's $191.7 billion. Iowa's economic output is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Scotland's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Scotland: $34,973. Iowa's GDP per capita is 2.3 times (134%) higher than Scotland's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Scotland official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Scotland 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.