The map above shows California and Alberta side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Alberta Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Alberta has 248,000 square miles (642,317 km²). Alberta's land area is 1.6 times (59%) larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Alberta: 255,541 square miles (661,848 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alberta's total area is 1.6 times (56%) larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Alberta is 810 miles (1,303 km). Alberta's north-south length is 1.1 times (6%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Alberta spans 544 miles (876 km). California's east-west width is 1.3 times (30%) wider than Alberta's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Alberta's is Mount Columbia at 12,293 feet (3,747 m). Mount Whitney is 2,191 feet higher than Mount Columbia.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Alberta's is Slave River at 499 feet. California's lowest point is 778 feet lower.
California vs Alberta Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Alberta has 5,048,151 (2026). California's population is 7.8 times (681%) larger than Alberta's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Alberta: 20.4. California's population density is 12.4 times higher than Alberta's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Alberta's is Calgary with 1,306,784. Los Angeles' population is 3.0 times (197%) larger than Calgary's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Alberta's Calgary CMA (1,481,806). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 8.7 times (772%) larger than Calgary CMA's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Alberta: Joined Confederation on September 1, 1905. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 55 years.
California vs Alberta Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Alberta's $346.0 billion. California's economic output is 11.7 times larger than Alberta's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Alberta: $70,487. California's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (46%) higher than Alberta's.
Official Websites
California official website · Alberta official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Alberta 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.