The map above shows California and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
California vs Virginia Geography
Land area: California has a land area of 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). California's land area is 3.9 times (295%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. California's total area is 3.8 times (283%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: California is 761 miles (1,224 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). California's north-south length is 3.4 times (241%) longer than Virginia's.
Width: California spans 706 miles (1,137 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). California's east-west width is 1.5 times (52%) wider than Virginia's.
Highest point: California's highest point is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Mount Whitney is 8,755 feet higher than Mount Rogers.
Lowest point: California's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. California's lowest point is 279 feet lower.
California vs Virginia Population and History
Population: California has a population of 39,431,263 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). California's population is 4.5 times (348%) larger than Virginia's.
Population density: California: 253.0 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. California's population density is 1.1 times (13%) higher than Virginia's.
Biggest city: California's biggest city is Los Angeles with 3,878,704 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Los Angeles' population is 8.5 times (753%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area: California's largest metropolitan area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's population is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 62 years.
California vs Virginia Economy
GDP: California's GDP is $4,048.1 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. California's economic output is 5.3 times (431%) larger than Virginia's.
GDP per capita: California: $102,662 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. California's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Virginia's.
Average income: California: $86,232 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). California's average income is 1.1 times (11%) higher than Virginia's.
California vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: California has 58 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 2.3 times (129%) higher than California's.
Biggest county by area: California's largest county is San Bernardino County at 20,068 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. San Bernardino County's land area is 20.7 times larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area: California: San Francisco County (47 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). San Francisco County's land area is 23.4 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: California: Los Angeles County (9,757,179 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Los Angeles County's population is 8.4 times (740%) larger than Fairfax County's.
Least populous county: California: Alpine County (1,099 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Highland County's population is 2.1 times (114%) larger than Alpine County's.
Richest county: California: Marin County ($190,891 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Marin County's income is 1.5 times (45%) richer than Arlington County's.
Poorest county: California: Trinity County ($42,191 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Trinity County and Sussex County have about the same income.
California vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: California has a top income tax rate of 13.3%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. California's top rate is 7.55 percentage points higher.
Property tax: California: 0.71% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. The two are essentially equal.
Sales tax: California: 9.03% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. California's combined rate is 3.26 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
California official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All California size comparisons · All Virginia 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.