The map above shows North Carolina and Ireland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Carolina vs Ireland Geography
Land area: North Carolina has a land area of 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²), while Ireland has 26,596 square miles (68,883 km²). North Carolina's land area is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Ireland's.
Total area: North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²) vs Ireland: 27,133 square miles (70,273 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Carolina's total area is 2.0 times (98%) larger than Ireland's.
Length: North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km) long from north to south; Ireland is 287 miles (462 km). Ireland's north-south length is 1.1 times (11%) longer than North Carolina's.
Width: North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km) east to west; Ireland spans 191 miles (308 km). North Carolina's east-west width is 2.5 times (155%) wider than Ireland's.
Highest point: North Carolina's highest point is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m); Ireland's is Carrauntoohil at 3,406 feet (1,038 m). Mount Mitchell is 3,268 feet higher than Carrauntoohil.
Lowest point: North Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Ireland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
North Carolina vs Ireland Population and History
Population: North Carolina has a population of 11,046,024 (2024), while Ireland has 5,525,600 (2026). North Carolina's population is 2.0 times (100%) larger than Ireland's.
Population density: North Carolina: 227.2 people per square mile vs Ireland: 207.8. North Carolina's population density is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Ireland's.
Biggest city: North Carolina's biggest city is Charlotte with 943,476 people; Ireland's is Dublin with 592,713. Charlotte's population is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Dublin's.
Largest metro area: North Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs Ireland's Greater Dublin Area (2,082,605). Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's population is 1.4 times (38%) larger than Greater Dublin Area's.
History: North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. Ireland: Independent since December 6, 1922, as the Irish Free State; a republic since 1949. In its current form, North Carolina is the older of the two by 133 years.
North Carolina vs Ireland Economy
GDP: North Carolina's GDP is $844.2 billion (2024) vs Ireland's $721.7 billion. North Carolina's economic output is 1.2 times (17%) larger than Ireland's.
GDP per capita: North Carolina: $76,427 per person vs Ireland: $131,593. Ireland's GDP per capita is 1.7 times (72%) higher than North Carolina's.
Average income: North Carolina: $65,634 vs Ireland: $87,360 average income per person (per capita personal income). Ireland's average income is 1.3 times (33%) higher than North Carolina's.
Official Websites
North Carolina official website · Ireland official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Carolina size comparisons · All Ireland 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.