The map above shows Arkansas and Illinois side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Arkansas vs Illinois Geography
Land area
- Arkansas has a land area of 51,992 square miles (134,658 km²), while Illinois has 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²).
- Illinois' land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Arkansas'.
Total area
- Arkansas: 53,198 square miles (137,781 km²) vs Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- Illinois' total area is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Arkansas'.
Length
- Arkansas is 243 miles (392 km) long from north to south; Illinois is 390 miles (628 km).
- Illinois' north-south length is 1.6 times (60%) longer than Arkansas'.
Width
- Arkansas spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km).
- Arkansas and Illinois have about the same east-west width.
Highest point
- Arkansas's highest point is Mount Magazine at 2,752 feet (839 m); Illinois's is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m).
- Mount Magazine is 1,520 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point
- Arkansas's lowest point is Ouachita River at 55 feet; Illinois's is Mississippi River at 292 feet.
- Arkansas's lowest point is 237 feet lower.
Arkansas vs Illinois Population and History
Population
- Arkansas has a population of 3,088,354 (2024), while Illinois has 12,710,158 (2024).
- Illinois' population is 4.1 times (312%) larger than Arkansas'.
Population density
- Arkansas: 59.4 people per square mile vs Illinois: 229.0.
- Illinois' population density is 3.9 times (286%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest city
- Arkansas's biggest city is Little Rock with 204,774 people; Illinois's is Chicago with 2,721,308.
- Chicago's population is 13.3 times larger than Little Rock's.
Largest metro area
- Arkansas's largest metropolitan area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (1,339,345 people) vs Illinois's Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576).
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 7.0 times (602%) larger than Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area's.
History
- Arkansas: Admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state.
- Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state.
- In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 18 years.
Arkansas vs Illinois Economy
GDP
- Arkansas's GDP is $188.3 billion (2024) vs Illinois's $1,148.1 billion.
- Illinois' economic output is 6.1 times (510%) larger than Arkansas'.
GDP per capita
- Arkansas: $60,984 per person vs Illinois: $90,330.
- Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.5 times (48%) higher than Arkansas'.
Average income
- Arkansas: $59,320 vs Illinois: $74,522 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- Illinois' average income is 1.3 times (26%) higher than Arkansas'.
Arkansas vs Illinois Counties
Number of counties
- Arkansas has 75 counties, while Illinois has 102.
- Illinois' county count is 1.4 times (36%) higher than Arkansas'.
Biggest county by area
- Arkansas's largest county is Union County at 1,039 square miles; Illinois's is McLean County at 1,183 square miles.
- McLean County's land area is 1.1 times (14%) larger than Union County's.
Smallest county by area
- Arkansas: Lafayette County (530 sq mi) vs Illinois: Putnam County (160 sq mi).
- Lafayette County's land area is 3.3 times (231%) larger than Putnam County's.
Most populous county
- Arkansas: Pulaski County (401,209 people) vs Illinois: Cook County (5,182,617 people).
- Cook County's population is 12.9 times larger than Pulaski County's.
Least populous county
- Arkansas: Calhoun County (4,690 people) vs Illinois: Hardin County (3,550 people).
- Calhoun County's population is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Hardin County's.
Richest county
- Arkansas: Benton County ($120,594 per capita income) vs Illinois: Cumberland County ($104,890).
- Benton County's income is 1.1 times (15%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Poorest county
- Arkansas: Lincoln County ($36,032 per capita income) vs Illinois: Lawrence County ($43,606).
- Lawrence County's income is 1.2 times (21%) richer than Lincoln County's.
Arkansas vs Illinois Taxes
State income tax
- Arkansas has a top income tax rate of 3.9%, while Illinois has a top income tax rate of 4.95%.
- Illinois's top rate is 1.05 percentage points higher.
Property tax
- Arkansas: 0.52% effective rate vs Illinois: 1.92% of home value per year.
- Illinois's rate is 1.4 percentage points higher.
Sales tax
- Arkansas: 9.48% combined state and average local rate vs Illinois: 8.98%.
- Arkansas's combined rate is 0.5 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Arkansas official website · Illinois official website
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More Size Comparisons
All Arkansas size comparisons · All Illinois 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.