The map above shows California and Italy side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Italy Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Italy has 113,568 square miles (294,140 km²). California's land area is 1.4 times (37%) larger than Italy's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Italy: 116,348 square miles (301,340 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Italy's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Italy is 734 miles (1,181 km). California and Italy have about the same north-south length.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Italy spans 694 miles (1,117 km). California and Italy have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Italy's is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) at 15,778 feet (4,809 m). Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) is 1,294 feet higher than Mount Whitney.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Italy's is Jolanda di Savoia at -10 feet. California's lowest point is 269 feet lower.
California vs Italy Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Italy has 58,943,673 (2026). Italy's population is 1.5 times (49%) larger than California's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Italy: 519.0. Italy's population density is 2.1 times (105%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Italy's is Rome with 2,748,109. Los Angeles' population is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Rome's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Italy's Metropolitan City of Rome (4,223,885). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 3.1 times (206%) larger than Metropolitan City of Rome's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Italy: Unified as the Kingdom of Italy on March 17, 1861; a republic since 1946. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 11 years.
California vs Italy Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Italy's $2,551.6 billion. California's economic output is 1.6 times (59%) larger than Italy's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Italy: $43,309. California's GDP per capita is 2.4 times (137%) higher than Italy's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Italy: $42,080 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 2.0 times (105%) higher than Italy's.
Official Websites
California official website · Italy official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Italy 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.