The map above shows California and South Australia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs South Australia Geography
Land area
- California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while South Australia has 380,048 square miles (984,321 km²).
- South Australia's land area is 2.4 times (144%) larger than California's.
Total area
- California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs South Australia: 380,048 square miles (984,321 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Australia's total area is 2.3 times (132%) larger than California's.
Length
- California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; South Australia is 1,078 miles (1,735 km).
- South Australia's north-south length is 1.4 times (42%) longer than California's.
Width
- California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; South Australia spans 825 miles (1,328 km).
- South Australia's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than California's.
Highest point
- California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); South Australia's is Mount Woodroffe at 4,708 feet (1,435 m).
- Mount Whitney is 9,776 feet higher than Mount Woodroffe.
Lowest point
- California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; South Australia's is Lake Eyre at -49 feet.
- California's lowest point is 230 feet lower.
California vs South Australia Population and History
Population
- California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while South Australia has 1,908,182 (2025).
- California's population is 20.7 times larger than South Australia's.
Population density
- California: 253.0 people per square mile vs South Australia: 5.0.
- California's population density is 50.6 times higher than South Australia's.
Largest metro area
- California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs South Australia's Greater Adelaide (1,491,015).
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 8.7 times (767%) larger than Greater Adelaide's.
History
- California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state.
- South Australia: Became an Australian state at Federation on January 1, 1901; founded as a colony in 1836.
- In its current form, California is the older of the two by 51 years.
California vs South Australia Economy
GDP
- California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs South Australia's $100.2 billion.
- California's economic output is 40.4 times larger than South Australia's.
GDP per capita
- California: $102,662 per person vs South Australia: $52,511.
- California's GDP per capita is 2.0 times (96%) higher than South Australia's.
Official Websites
California official website · South Australia official website
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More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All South Australia 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.