The map above shows California and Utah side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Utah Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Utah has 82,596 square miles (213,922 km²). California's land area is 1.9 times (89%) larger than Utah's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Utah: 84,898 square miles (219,885 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 1.9 times (93%) larger than Utah's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Utah is 436 miles (702 km). California's north-south length is 1.7 times (75%) longer than Utah's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Utah spans 268 miles (431 km). California's east-west width is 2.6 times (163%) wider than Utah's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Utah's is Kings Peak at 13,512 feet (4,118 m). Mount Whitney is 972 feet higher than Kings Peak.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Utah's is Beaver Dam Wash at 2,180 feet. California's lowest point is 2,459 feet lower.
California vs Utah Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Utah has 3,503,613 (2024). California's population is 11.3 times larger than Utah's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Utah: 42.4. California's population density is 6.0 times (497%) higher than Utah's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Utah's is Salt Lake City with 217,783. Los Angeles' population is 17.8 times larger than Salt Lake City's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Utah's Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area (1,300,762). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 9.9 times (894%) larger than Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Utah: Admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896, as the 45th state. In its current form, California is the older of the two by 46 years.
California vs Utah Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Utah's $299.5 billion. California's economic output is 13.5 times larger than Utah's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Utah: $85,475. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (20%) higher than Utah's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Utah: $67,333 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.3 times (28%) higher than Utah's.
California vs Utah Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Utah has 29. California's county count is 2.0 times (100%) higher than Utah's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Utah's is San Juan County at 7,824 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 2.6 times (157%) larger than San Juan County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Utah: Davis County (325 sq mi). Davis County's land area is 7.0 times (596%) larger than San Francisco County's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Utah: Salt Lake County (1,216,274 people). Los Angeles County's population is 8.0 times (702%) larger than Salt Lake County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Utah: Daggett County (956 people). Alpine County's population is 1.1 times (15%) larger than Daggett County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Utah: Summit County ($280,510). Summit County's income is 1.5 times (47%) richer than Marin County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Utah: Beaver County ($39,179). Trinity County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Beaver County's.
California vs Utah Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Utah has a top income tax rate of 4.5%. California's top rate is 8.8 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Utah: 0.49% of home value per year. California's rate is 0.22 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Utah: 7.42%. California's combined rate is 1.61 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Utah official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Utah 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.