The map above shows California and Montana side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Montana Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Montana has 145,550 square miles (376,973 km²). California's land area is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Montana's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Montana: 147,043 square miles (380,840 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Montana's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Montana is 319 miles (514 km). California's north-south length is 2.4 times (139%) longer than Montana's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Montana spans 607 miles (976 km). California's east-west width is 1.2 times (16%) wider than Montana's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Montana's is Granite Peak at 12,767 feet (3,891 m). Mount Whitney is 1,717 feet higher than Granite Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Montana's is Kootenai River at 1,805 feet. California's lowest point is 2,084 feet lower.
California vs Montana Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Montana has 1,137,233 (2024). California's population is 34.7 times larger than Montana's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Montana: 7.8. California's population density is 32.4 times higher than Montana's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Montana's is Billings with 121,483. Los Angeles' population is 31.9 times larger than Billings'.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Montana's Billings, MT metro area (192,531). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 67.1 times larger than Billings, MT metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Montana: Admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, as the 41st state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 39 years.
California vs Montana Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Montana's $78.4 billion. California's economic output is 51.6 times larger than Montana's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Montana: $68,975. California's GDP per capita is 1.5 times (49%) higher than Montana's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Montana: $69,240 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.2 times (25%) higher than Montana's.
California vs Montana Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Montana has 56. California and Montana have about the same county count.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Montana's is Beaverhead County at 5,543 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 3.6 times (262%) larger than Beaverhead County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Montana: Silver Bow County (718 sq mi). Silver Bow County's land area is 15.4 times larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Montana: Yellowstone County (171,583 people). Los Angeles County's population is 56.9 times larger than Yellowstone County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Montana: Petroleum County (525 people). Alpine County's population is 2.1 times (109%) larger than Petroleum County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Montana: Gallatin County ($94,573). Marin County's income is 2.0 times (102%) richer than Gallatin County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Montana: Blaine County ($37,554). Trinity County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Blaine County's.
California vs Montana Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Montana has a top income tax rate of 5.65%. California's top rate is 7.65 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Montana: 0.69% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.02 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Montana: 0%. California's combined rate is 9.03 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Montana official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Montana 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.