The map above shows California and US Virgin Islands side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs US Virgin Islands Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while US Virgin Islands has 134 square miles (346 km²). California's land area is 1,166.7 times larger than US Virgin Islands'.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs US Virgin Islands: 737 square miles (1,910 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 222.0 times larger than US Virgin Islands'.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; US Virgin Islands is 47 miles (76 km). California's north-south length is 16.2 times longer than US Virgin Islands'.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; US Virgin Islands spans 52 miles (83 km). California's east-west width is 13.6 times wider than US Virgin Islands'.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); US Virgin Islands's is Crown Mountain at 1,555 feet (474 m). Mount Whitney is 12,929 feet higher than Crown Mountain.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; US Virgin Islands's is Caribbean Sea at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs US Virgin Islands Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while US Virgin Islands has 87,146 (2020). California's population is 452.5 times larger than US Virgin Islands'.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs US Virgin Islands: 650.3. US Virgin Islands' population density is 2.6 times (157%) higher than California's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. US Virgin Islands: A US territory since 1917, purchased from Denmark. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 67 years.
Official Websites
California official website · US Virgin Islands official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All US Virgin Islands 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.