The map above shows Alaska and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Alaska vs Washington Geography
Land area: Alaska has a land area of 571,242 square miles (1,479,509 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Alaska's land area is 8.6 times (760%) larger than Washington's.
Total area: Alaska: 665,725 square miles (1,724,220 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alaska's total area is 9.3 times (834%) larger than Washington's.
Length: Alaska is 1,201 miles (1,933 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Alaska's north-south length is 5.0 times (405%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Alaska spans 1,544 miles (2,485 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Alaska's east-west width is 3.9 times (287%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: Alaska's highest point is Denali at 20,235 feet (6,168 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Denali is 5,826 feet higher than Mount Rainier.
Lowest point: Alaska's lowest point is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Alaska vs Washington Population and History
Population: Alaska has a population of 740,133 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 10.8 times larger than Alaska's.
Population density: Alaska: 1.3 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 92.2 times higher than Alaska's.
Biggest city: Alaska's biggest city is Anchorage with 289,600 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 2.7 times (170%) larger than Anchorage's.
Largest metro area: Alaska's largest metropolitan area is Anchorage, AK metro area (407,213 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 10.2 times larger than Anchorage, AK metro area's.
History: Alaska: Admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959, as the 49th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Washington is the older of the two by 70 years.
Alaska vs Washington Economy
GDP: Alaska's GDP is $71.6 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 12.0 times larger than Alaska's.
GDP per capita: Alaska: $96,695 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Alaska's.
Average income: Alaska: $76,234 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.1 times (12%) higher than Alaska's.
Alaska vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Alaska has 30 counties, while Washington has 39. Washington's county count is 1.3 times (30%) higher than Alaska's.
Biggest county by area: Alaska's largest county is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area at 145,769 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's land area is 27.7 times larger than Okanogan County's.
Smallest county by area: Alaska: Skagway Municipality (443 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Skagway Municipality's land area is 2.5 times (155%) larger than San Juan County's.
Most populous county: Alaska: Anchorage Municipality (289,600 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 8.1 times (708%) larger than Anchorage Municipality's.
Least populous county: Alaska: Yakutat City and Borough (690 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 3.5 times (248%) larger than Yakutat City and Borough's.
Richest county: Alaska: Bristol Bay Borough ($158,406 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). Bristol Bay Borough's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than King County's.
Poorest county: Alaska: Kusilvak Census Area ($37,765 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Kusilvak Census Area's.
Alaska vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Alaska has no state income tax, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Alaska: 1.06% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Alaska's rate is 0.27 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Alaska: 1.82% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 7.75 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Alaska official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Alaska 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.