The map above shows District of Columbia and China side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs China Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while China has 3,600,947 square miles (9,326,410 km²). China's land area is 59,027.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs China: 3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 km²), including inland and coastal water. China's total area is 54,220.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; China is 2,551 miles (4,105 km). China's north-south length is 196.2 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; China spans 3,040 miles (4,892 km). China's east-west width is 253.3 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); China's is Mount Everest at 29,032 feet (8,849 m). Mount Everest is 28,603 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; China's is Turpan Depression at -505 feet. China's lowest point is 505 feet lower.
District of Columbia vs China Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while China has 1,404,890,000 (2025). China's population is 2,000.6 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs China: 390.1. District of Columbia's population density is 29.5 times higher than China's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; China's is Shanghai with 24,870,895. Shanghai's population is 35.4 times larger than Washington's.
Largest metro area: District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs China's Shanghai (29,558,908). Shanghai's population is 4.6 times (359%) larger than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. China: The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 159 years.
District of Columbia vs China Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs China's $19,498.0 billion. China's economic output is 105.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs China: $13,862. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 18.9 times higher than China's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs China: $14,230 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 7.8 times (681%) higher than China's.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · China official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All China 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.