The map above shows California and United Kingdom side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs United Kingdom Geography
Land area
- California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while United Kingdom has 93,410 square miles (241,930 km²).
- California's land area is 1.7 times (67%) larger than United Kingdom's.
Total area
- California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs United Kingdom: 94,058 square miles (243,610 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- California's total area is 1.7 times (74%) larger than United Kingdom's.
Length
- California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; United Kingdom is 747 miles (1,202 km).
- California and United Kingdom have about the same north-south length.
Width
- California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; United Kingdom spans 429 miles (690 km).
- California's east-west width is 1.6 times (65%) wider than United Kingdom's.
Highest point
- California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); United Kingdom's is Ben Nevis at 4,413 feet (1,345 m).
- Mount Whitney is 10,071 feet higher than Ben Nevis.
Lowest point
- California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; United Kingdom's is The Fens (Holme Fen) at -10 feet.
- California's lowest point is 269 feet lower.
California vs United Kingdom Population and History
Population
- California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while United Kingdom has 69,487,000 (2025).
- United Kingdom's population is 1.8 times (76%) larger than California's.
Population density
- California: 253.0 people per square mile vs United Kingdom: 743.9.
- United Kingdom's population density is 2.9 times (194%) higher than California's.
Biggest city
- California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; United Kingdom's is London with 8,825,001.
- London's population is 2.3 times (128%) larger than Los Angeles'.
Largest metro area
- California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs United Kingdom's London (10,416,420).
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 1.2 times (24%) larger than London's.
History
- California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state.
- United Kingdom: Formed as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on January 1, 1801; took its current form in 1922.
- In its current form, United Kingdom is the older of the two by 49 years.
California vs United Kingdom Economy
GDP
- California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs United Kingdom's $4,002.6 billion.
- California and United Kingdom have about the same economic output.
GDP per capita
- California: $102,662 per person vs United Kingdom: $57,602.
- California's GDP per capita is 1.8 times (78%) higher than United Kingdom's.
Average income
- California: $86,232 vs United Kingdom: $54,550 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- California's average income is 1.6 times (58%) higher than United Kingdom's.
Official Websites
California official website · United Kingdom official website
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More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All United Kingdom 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.