The map above shows Washington and West Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Washington vs West Virginia Geography
Land area: Washington has a land area of 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²), while West Virginia has 24,041 square miles (62,266 km²). Washington's land area is 2.8 times (176%) larger than West Virginia's.
Total area: Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²) vs West Virginia: 24,230 square miles (62,755 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 2.9 times (194%) larger than West Virginia's.
Length: Washington is 238 miles (383 km) long from north to south; West Virginia is 245 miles (394 km). Washington and West Virginia have about the same north-south length.
Width: Washington spans 399 miles (641 km) east to west; West Virginia spans 276 miles (444 km). Washington's east-west width is 1.4 times (45%) wider than West Virginia's.
Highest point: Washington's highest point is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m); West Virginia's is Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet (1,482 m). Mount Rainier is 9,546 feet higher than Spruce Knob.
Lowest point: Washington's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; West Virginia's is Potomac River at 240 feet. Washington's lowest point is 240 feet lower.
Washington vs West Virginia Population and History
Population: Washington has a population of 7,958,180 (2024), while West Virginia has 1,769,979 (2024). Washington's population is 4.5 times (350%) larger than West Virginia's.
Population density: Washington: 119.8 people per square mile vs West Virginia: 73.6. Washington's population density is 1.6 times (63%) higher than West Virginia's.
Biggest city: Washington's biggest city is Seattle with 780,995 people; West Virginia's is Charleston with 46,482. Seattle's population is 16.8 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: Washington's largest metropolitan area is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494 people) vs West Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.6 times (55%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. West Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, as the 35th state. In its current form, West Virginia is the older of the two by 26 years.
Washington vs West Virginia Economy
GDP: Washington's GDP is $856.0 billion (2024) vs West Virginia's $106.5 billion. Washington's economic output is 8.0 times (704%) larger than West Virginia's.
GDP per capita: Washington: $107,564 per person vs West Virginia: $60,156. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.8 times (79%) higher than West Virginia's.
Average income: Washington: $85,187 vs West Virginia: $55,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.5 times (54%) higher than West Virginia's.
Washington vs West Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Washington has 39 counties, while West Virginia has 55. West Virginia's county count is 1.4 times (41%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Washington's largest county is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles; West Virginia's is Randolph County at 1,040 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 5.1 times (407%) larger than Randolph County's.
Smallest county by area: Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi) vs West Virginia: Hancock County (83 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 2.1 times (111%) larger than Hancock County's.
Most populous county: Washington: King County (2,340,211 people) vs West Virginia: Kanawha County (173,906 people). King County's population is 13.5 times larger than Kanawha County's.
Least populous county: Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people) vs West Virginia: Wirt County (4,924 people). Wirt County's population is 2.0 times (105%) larger than Garfield County's.
Richest county: Washington: King County ($128,684 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Jefferson County ($70,542). King County's income is 1.8 times (82%) richer than Jefferson County's.
Poorest county: Washington: Ferry County ($50,456 per capita income) vs West Virginia: Webster County ($35,039). Ferry County's income is 1.4 times (44%) richer than Webster County's.
Washington vs West Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only, while West Virginia has a top income tax rate of 4.82%.
Property tax: Washington: 0.79% effective rate vs West Virginia: 0.52% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.27 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Washington: 9.57% combined state and average local rate vs West Virginia: 6.6%. Washington's combined rate is 2.97 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Washington official website · West Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Washington size comparisons · All West Virginia 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.