The map above shows California and Northern Ireland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Northern Ireland Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Northern Ireland has 5,236 square miles (13,562 km²). California's land area is 29.8 times larger than Northern Ireland's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Northern Ireland: 5,456 square miles (14,130 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 30.0 times larger than Northern Ireland's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Northern Ireland is 83 miles (134 km). California's north-south length is 9.2 times (817%) longer than Northern Ireland's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Northern Ireland spans 107 miles (173 km). California's east-west width is 6.6 times (560%) wider than Northern Ireland's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Northern Ireland's is Slieve Donard at 2,789 feet (850 m). Mount Whitney is 11,695 feet higher than Slieve Donard.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Northern Ireland's is Irish Sea at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Northern Ireland Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Northern Ireland has 1,905,000 (2022). California's population is 20.7 times larger than Northern Ireland's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Northern Ireland: 363.8. Northern Ireland's population density is 1.4 times (44%) higher than California's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Northern Ireland's is Belfast with 348,005. Los Angeles' population is 11.1 times larger than Belfast's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Northern Ireland: A country within the United Kingdom; created by the partition of Ireland on May 3, 1921. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 71 years.
California vs Northern Ireland Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Northern Ireland's $58.8 billion. California's economic output is 68.8 times larger than Northern Ireland's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Northern Ireland: $30,686. California's GDP per capita is 3.3 times (235%) higher than Northern Ireland's.
Official Websites
California official website · Northern Ireland official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Northern 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.