The map above shows Iowa and Utah side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Utah Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Utah has 82,596 square miles (213,922 km²). Utah's land area is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Utah: 84,898 square miles (219,885 km²), including inland and coastal water. Utah's total area is 1.5 times (51%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Utah is 436 miles (702 km). Utah's north-south length is 2.0 times (102%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Utah spans 268 miles (431 km). Iowa's east-west width is 1.3 times (25%) wider than Utah's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Utah's is Kings Peak at 13,512 feet (4,118 m). Kings Peak is 11,843 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Utah's is Beaver Dam Wash at 2,180 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 1,700 feet lower.
Iowa vs Utah Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Utah has 3,503,613 (2024). Utah's population is 1.1 times (8%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Utah: 42.4. Iowa's population density is 1.4 times (37%) higher than Utah's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Utah's is Salt Lake City with 217,783. Des Moines and Salt Lake City have about the same population.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Utah's Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (1,300,762). Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Utah: Admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896, as the 45th state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 50 years.
Iowa vs Utah Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Utah's $299.5 billion. Utah's economic output is 1.1 times (13%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Utah: $85,475. Iowa and Utah have about the same GDP per capita.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Utah: $67,333 average income per person (per capita personal income). Iowa and Utah have about the same average income.
Iowa vs Utah Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Utah has 29. Iowa's county count is 3.4 times (241%) higher than Utah's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Utah's is San Juan County at 7,824 square miles. San Juan County's land area is 8.0 times (704%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Utah: Davis County (325 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Davis County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Utah: Salt Lake County (1,216,274 people). Salt Lake County's population is 2.4 times (136%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Utah: Daggett County (956 people). Adams County's population is 3.8 times (277%) larger than Daggett County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Utah: Summit County ($280,510). Summit County's income is 2.9 times (186%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Utah: Beaver County ($39,179). Decatur County's income is 1.2 times (18%) richer than Beaver County's.
Iowa vs Utah Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Utah has a top income tax rate of 4.5%. Utah's top rate is 0.7 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Utah: 0.49% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.8 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Utah: 7.42%. Utah's combined rate is 0.48 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Utah official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Utah 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.