The map above shows California and China side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs China Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while China has 3,600,947 square miles (9,326,410 km²). China's land area is 23.1 times larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs China: 3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 km²), including inland and coastal water. China's total area is 22.6 times larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; China is 2,551 miles (4,105 km). China's north-south length is 3.4 times (235%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; China spans 3,040 miles (4,892 km). China's east-west width is 4.3 times (331%) wider than California's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); China's is Mount Everest at 29,032 feet (8,849 m). Mount Everest is 14,548 feet higher than Mount Whitney.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; China's is Turpan Depression at -505 feet. China's lowest point is 226 feet lower.
California vs China Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while China has 1,404,890,000 (2025). China's population is 35.6 times larger than California's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs China: 390.1. China's population density is 1.5 times (54%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; China's is Shanghai with 24,870,895. Shanghai's population is 6.4 times (541%) larger than Los Angeles'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs China's Shanghai (29,558,908). Shanghai's population is 2.3 times (129%) larger than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. China: The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 99 years.
California vs China Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs China's $19,498.0 billion. China's economic output is 4.8 times (382%) larger than California's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs China: $13,862. California's GDP per capita is 7.4 times (641%) higher than China's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs China: $14,230 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 6.1 times (506%) higher than China's.
Official Websites
California official website · China official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All China 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.