The map above shows District of Columbia and Northwest Territories side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Northwest Territories Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Northwest Territories has 456,792 square miles (1,183,085 km²). Northwest Territories' land area is 7,487.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Northwest Territories: 519,734 square miles (1,346,106 km²), including inland and coastal water. Northwest Territories' total area is 7,605.1 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Northwest Territories is 1,310 miles (2,107 km). Northwest Territories' north-south length is 100.8 times longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Northwest Territories spans 990 miles (1,593 km). Northwest Territories' east-west width is 82.5 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Northwest Territories's is Mount Nirvana at 9,098 feet (2,773 m). Mount Nirvana is 8,669 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Northwest Territories's is Arctic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Northwest Territories Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Northwest Territories has 45,257 (2024). District of Columbia's population is 15.5 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Northwest Territories: 0.1. District of Columbia's population density is 114,935.0 times higher than Northwest Territories'.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Northwest Territories's is Yellowknife with 20,340. Washington's population is 34.5 times larger than Yellowknife'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 Northwest Territories's Yellowknife CMA (20,340). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 316.4 times larger than Yellowknife CMA's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Northwest Territories: Became a Canadian territory on July 15, 1870. In its current form, District of Columbia is the older of the two by 80 years.
District of Columbia vs Northwest Territories Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Northwest Territories's $3.7 billion. District of Columbia's economic output is 49.8 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Northwest Territories: $82,646. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 3.2 times (218%) higher than Northwest Territories'.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Northwest Territories official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Northwest Territories 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.