The map above shows District of Columbia and Maryland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Maryland Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Maryland has 9,711 square miles (25,151 km²). Maryland's land area is 159.2 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Maryland: 12,406 square miles (32,131 km²), including inland and coastal water. Maryland's total area is 181.5 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Maryland is 231 miles (371 km). Maryland's north-south length is 17.8 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Maryland spans 243 miles (391 km). Maryland's east-west width is 20.3 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Maryland's is Hoye-Crest at 3,362 feet (1,025 m). Hoye-Crest is 2,933 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Maryland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Maryland Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Maryland has 6,263,220 (2024). Maryland's population is 8.9 times (792%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Maryland: 645.0. District of Columbia's population density is 17.8 times higher than Maryland's.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Maryland's is Baltimore with 568,271. Washington's population is 1.2 times (24%) larger than Baltimore'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 Maryland's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area have about the same population.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Maryland: Admitted to the Union on April 28, 1788, as the 7th state. In its current form, Maryland is the older of the two by 2 years.
District of Columbia vs Maryland Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Maryland's $546.0 billion. Maryland's economic output is 3.0 times (196%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Maryland: $87,180. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.0 times (201%) higher than Maryland's.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Maryland: $79,259 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.4 times (40%) higher than Maryland's.
District of Columbia vs Maryland Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Maryland has 24. Maryland's county count is 24.0 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; Maryland's is Frederick County at 661 square miles. Frederick County's land area is 10.8 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Maryland: Baltimore city (81 sq mi). Baltimore city's land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Maryland: Montgomery County (1,082,273 people). Montgomery County's population is 1.5 times (54%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Maryland: Kent County (19,557 people). District of Columbia's population is 35.9 times larger than Kent County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Maryland: Montgomery County ($104,882). District of Columbia's income is 1.1 times (6%) richer than Montgomery County's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Maryland: Somerset County ($41,421). District of Columbia's income is 2.7 times (168%) richer than Somerset County's.
District of Columbia vs Maryland Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Maryland has a top income tax rate of 6.5%. District of Columbia's top rate is 4.25 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Maryland: 0.95% of home value per year. Maryland's rate is 0.32 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Maryland: 6%. The two are essentially equal.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Maryland official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Maryland 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.