The map above shows United States and North Carolina side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
United States vs North Carolina Geography
Land area: United States has a land area of 3,533,467 square miles (9,151,637 km²), while North Carolina has 48,624 square miles (125,936 km²). United States' land area is 72.7 times larger than North Carolina's.
Total area: United States: 3,802,784 square miles (9,849,165 km²) vs North Carolina: 53,819 square miles (139,390 km²), including inland and coastal water. United States' total area is 70.7 times larger than North Carolina's.
Length: United States is 3,628 miles (5,839 km) long from north to south; North Carolina is 258 miles (415 km). United States' north-south length is 14.1 times longer than North Carolina's.
Width: United States spans 4,824 miles (7,763 km) east to west; North Carolina spans 487 miles (784 km). United States' east-west width is 9.9 times (891%) wider than North Carolina's.
Highest point: United States's highest point is Denali at 20,308 feet (6,190 m); North Carolina's is Mount Mitchell at 6,674 feet (2,034 m). Denali is 13,634 feet higher than Mount Mitchell.
Lowest point: United States's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; North Carolina's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. United States's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
United States vs North Carolina Population and History
Population: United States has a population of 340,110,988 (2024), while North Carolina has 11,046,024 (2024). United States' population is 30.8 times larger than North Carolina's.
Population density: United States: 96.3 people per square mile vs North Carolina: 227.2. North Carolina's population density is 2.4 times (136%) higher than United States'.
Biggest city: United States's biggest city is New York with 8,478,072 people; North Carolina's is Charlotte with 943,476. New York's population is 9.0 times (799%) larger than Charlotte's.
Largest metro area: United States's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs North Carolina's Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 6.9 times (592%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: United States: Declared independence on July 4, 1776. North Carolina: Admitted to the Union on November 21, 1789, as the 12th state. In its current form, United States is the older of the two by 13 years.
United States vs North Carolina Economy
GDP: United States's GDP is $30,769.7 billion (2025) vs North Carolina's $844.2 billion. United States' economic output is 36.4 times larger than North Carolina's.
GDP per capita: United States: $89,599 per person vs North Carolina: $76,427. United States' GDP per capita is 1.2 times (17%) higher than North Carolina's.
Official Websites
United States official website · North Carolina official website
More Size Comparisons
All United States size comparisons · All North Carolina 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.