The map above shows District of Columbia and Kentucky side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Kentucky Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Kentucky has 39,485 square miles (102,267 km²). Kentucky's land area is 647.3 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Kentucky: 40,406 square miles (104,651 km²), including inland and coastal water. Kentucky's total area is 591.2 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Kentucky is 257 miles (414 km). Kentucky's north-south length is 19.8 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Kentucky spans 418 miles (672 km). Kentucky's east-west width is 34.8 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Kentucky's is Black Mountain at 4,134 feet (1,260 m). Black Mountain is 3,705 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Kentucky's is Mississippi River at 270 feet. District of Columbia's lowest point is 270 feet lower.
District of Columbia vs Kentucky Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Kentucky has 4,588,372 (2024). Kentucky's population is 6.5 times (553%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Kentucky: 116.2. District of Columbia's population density is 98.9 times higher than Kentucky's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Kentucky's is Louisville with 640,796. Washington's population is 1.1 times (10%) larger than Louisville'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 Kentucky's Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area (2,302,815). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 2.8 times (180%) larger than Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Kentucky: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1792, as the 15th state. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 2 years.
District of Columbia vs Kentucky Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Kentucky's $295.4 billion. Kentucky's economic output is 1.6 times (60%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Kentucky: $64,375. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 4.1 times (308%) higher than Kentucky's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Kentucky: $58,256 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.9 times (91%) higher than Kentucky's.
District of Columbia vs Kentucky Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Kentucky has 120. Kentucky's county count is 120.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; Kentucky's is Pike County at 786 square miles. Pike County's land area is 12.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Kentucky: Gallatin County (98 sq mi). Gallatin County's land area is 1.6 times (61%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Kentucky: Jefferson County (793,881 people). Jefferson County's population is 1.1 times (13%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Kentucky: Robertson County (2,382 people). District of Columbia's population is 294.8 times larger than Robertson County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Oldham County ($87,137). District of Columbia's income is 1.3 times (28%) richer than Oldham County's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Kentucky: Elliott County ($31,817). District of Columbia's income is 3.5 times (249%) richer than Elliott County's.
District of Columbia vs Kentucky Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Kentucky has a top income tax rate of 3.5%. District of Columbia's top rate is 7.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Kentucky: 0.71% of home value per year. Kentucky's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Kentucky: 6%. The two are essentially equal.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Kentucky official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Kentucky 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.