The map above shows Colorado and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Colorado vs Washington Geography
Land area: Colorado has a land area of 103,637 square miles (268,419 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Colorado's land area is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Washington's.
Total area: Colorado: 104,095 square miles (269,605 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Colorado's total area is 1.5 times (46%) larger than Washington's.
Length: Colorado is 467 miles (751 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Colorado's north-south length is 2.0 times (96%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Colorado spans 387 miles (622 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Colorado and Washington have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: Colorado's highest point is Mount Elbert at 14,422 feet (4,396 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Elbert is 13 feet higher than Mount Rainier.
Lowest point: Colorado's lowest point is Arikaree River at 3,326 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 3,326 feet lower.
Colorado vs Washington Population and History
Population: Colorado has a population of 5,957,493 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 1.3 times (34%) larger than Colorado's.
Population density: Colorado: 57.5 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 2.1 times (108%) higher than Colorado's.
Biggest city: Colorado's biggest city is Denver with 729,019 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 1.1 times (7%) larger than Denver's.
Largest metro area: Colorado's largest metropolitan area is Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (3,052,498 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 1.4 times (36%) larger than Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area's.
History: Colorado: Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, as the 38th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Colorado is the older of the two by 13 years.
Colorado vs Washington Economy
GDP: Colorado's GDP is $557.6 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Colorado's.
GDP per capita: Colorado: $93,602 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than Colorado's.
Average income: Colorado: $83,055 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Colorado and Washington have about the same average income.
Colorado vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Colorado has 64 counties, while Washington has 39. Colorado's county count is 1.6 times (64%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Colorado's largest county is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Las Animas County's.
Smallest county by area: Colorado: Broomfield County (33 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 5.3 times (427%) larger than Broomfield County's.
Most populous county: Colorado: El Paso County (752,772 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 3.1 times (211%) larger than El Paso County's.
Least populous county: Colorado: Hinsdale County (747 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 3.2 times (222%) larger than Hinsdale County's.
Richest county: Colorado: Pitkin County ($275,044 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). Pitkin County's income is 2.1 times (114%) richer than King County's.
Poorest county: Colorado: Crowley County ($27,232 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.9 times (85%) richer than Crowley County's.
Colorado vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Colorado has a top income tax rate of 4.4%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Colorado: 0.49% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.3 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Colorado: 7.89% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 1.68 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Colorado official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Colorado size comparisons · All Washington 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.