The map above shows Iowa and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Washington Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 1.3 times (27%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Washington's north-south length is 1.1 times (10%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Washington's east-west width is 1.2 times (19%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 12,740 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Washington Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 2.5 times (146%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 2.1 times (107%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 3.7 times (266%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 4.1 times (314%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 43 years.
Iowa vs Washington Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.3 times (31%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Washington has 39. Iowa's county count is 2.5 times (154%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 5.4 times (441%) larger than Kossuth County's.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 2.2 times (119%) larger than San Juan County's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 4.5 times (353%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Adams County's population is 1.5 times (50%) larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.3 times (31%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.1 times (9%) richer than Decatur County's.
Iowa vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 2.63 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Washington 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.