The map above shows Minnesota and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Minnesota vs Washington Geography
Land area: Minnesota has a land area of 79,632 square miles (206,245 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Minnesota's land area is 1.2 times (20%) larger than Washington's.
Total area: Minnesota: 86,943 square miles (225,182 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Minnesota's total area is 1.2 times (22%) larger than Washington's.
Length: Minnesota is 408 miles (657 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Minnesota's north-south length is 1.7 times (71%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Minnesota spans 360 miles (580 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Washington's east-west width is 1.1 times (11%) wider than Minnesota's.
Highest point: Minnesota's highest point is Eagle Mountain at 2,292 feet (699 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 12,117 feet higher than Eagle Mountain.
Lowest point: Minnesota's lowest point is Lake Superior at 601 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 601 feet lower.
Minnesota vs Washington Population and History
Population: Minnesota has a population of 5,793,151 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Minnesota's.
Population density: Minnesota: 72.7 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 1.6 times (65%) higher than Minnesota's.
Biggest city: Minnesota's biggest city is Minneapolis with 428,579 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 1.8 times (82%) larger than Minneapolis'.
Largest metro area: Minnesota's largest metropolitan area is Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (3,757,952 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area's.
History: Minnesota: Admitted to the Union on May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Minnesota is the older of the two by 31 years.
Minnesota vs Washington Economy
GDP: Minnesota's GDP is $507.7 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 1.7 times (69%) larger than Minnesota's.
GDP per capita: Minnesota: $87,636 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (23%) higher than Minnesota's.
Average income: Minnesota: $75,603 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Minnesota's.
Minnesota vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Minnesota has 87 counties, while Washington has 39. Minnesota's county count is 2.2 times (123%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Minnesota's largest county is St. Louis County at 6,248 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. St. Louis County's land area is 1.2 times (19%) larger than Okanogan County's.
Smallest county by area: Minnesota: Ramsey County (152 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Ramsey County's.
Most populous county: Minnesota: Hennepin County (1,273,334 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 1.8 times (84%) larger than Hennepin County's.
Least populous county: Minnesota: Traverse County (3,134 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Traverse County's population is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: Minnesota: Hennepin County ($100,352 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.3 times (28%) richer than Hennepin County's.
Poorest county: Minnesota: Pine County ($48,677 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Pine County and Ferry County have about the same income.
Minnesota vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Minnesota has a top income tax rate of 9.85%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Minnesota: 1.02% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Minnesota's rate is 0.23 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Minnesota: 8.14% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 1.43 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Minnesota official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Minnesota 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.