The map above shows California and Northern Territory side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Northern Territory Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Northern Territory has 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²). Northern Territory's land area is 3.3 times (234%) larger than California's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Northern Territory: 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²), including inland and coastal water. Northern Territory's total area is 3.2 times (218%) larger than California's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Northern Territory is 1,092 miles (1,758 km). Northern Territory's north-south length is 1.4 times (43%) longer than California's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Northern Territory spans 610 miles (981 km). California's east-west width is 1.2 times (16%) wider than Northern Territory's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Northern Territory's is Mount Zeil at 5,023 feet (1,531 m). Mount Whitney is 9,461 feet higher than Mount Zeil.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Northern Territory's is Timor Sea at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Northern Territory Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Northern Territory has 265,457 (2025). California's population is 148.5 times larger than Northern Territory's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Northern Territory: 0.5. California's population density is 506.0 times higher than Northern Territory's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Northern Territory's Greater Darwin (159,284). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 81.2 times larger than Greater Darwin's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Northern Territory: Became a federal territory on January 1, 1911; self-governing since 1978. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 61 years.
California vs Northern Territory Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Northern Territory's $22.4 billion. California's economic output is 180.7 times larger than Northern Territory's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Northern Territory: $84,383. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (22%) higher than Northern Territory's.
Official Websites
California official website · Northern Territory official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Northern Territory 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.