The map above shows California and Ireland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Ireland Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Ireland has 26,596 square miles (68,883 km²). California's land area is 5.9 times (486%) larger than Ireland's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Ireland: 27,133 square miles (70,273 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 6.0 times (503%) larger than Ireland's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Ireland is 287 miles (462 km). California's north-south length is 2.7 times (165%) longer than Ireland's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Ireland spans 191 miles (308 km). California's east-west width is 3.7 times (270%) wider than Ireland's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Ireland's is Carrauntoohil at 3,406 feet (1,038 m). Mount Whitney is 11,078 feet higher than Carrauntoohil.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Ireland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Ireland Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Ireland has 5,525,600 (2026). California's population is 7.1 times (614%) larger than Ireland's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Ireland: 207.8. California's population density is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Ireland's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Ireland's is Dublin with 592,713. Los Angeles' population is 6.5 times (554%) larger than Dublin's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Ireland's Greater Dublin Area (2,082,605). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 6.2 times (521%) larger than Greater Dublin Area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Ireland: Independent since December 6, 1922, as the Irish Free State; a republic since 1949. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 72 years.
California vs Ireland Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Ireland's $721.7 billion. California's economic output is 5.6 times (461%) larger than Ireland's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Ireland: $131,593. Ireland's GDP per capita is 1.3 times (28%) higher than California's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Ireland: $87,360 average income per person (per capita personal income). California and Ireland have about the same average income.
Official Websites
California official website · Ireland official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Ireland 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.