The map above shows Iowa and Alberta side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Alberta Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Alberta has 248,000 square miles (642,317 km²). Alberta's land area is 4.4 times (344%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Alberta: 255,541 square miles (661,848 km²), including inland and coastal water. Alberta's total area is 4.5 times (354%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Alberta is 810 miles (1,303 km). Alberta's north-south length is 3.8 times (275%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Alberta spans 544 miles (876 km). Alberta's east-west width is 1.6 times (62%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Alberta's is Mount Columbia at 12,293 feet (3,747 m). Mount Columbia is 10,624 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Alberta's is Slave River at 499 feet. Iowa's lowest point is 19 feet lower.
Iowa vs Alberta Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Alberta has 5,048,151 (2026). Alberta's population is 1.6 times (56%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Alberta: 20.4. Iowa's population density is 2.8 times (184%) higher than Alberta's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Alberta's is Calgary with 1,306,784. Calgary's population is 6.1 times (513%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Alberta's Calgary CMA (1,481,806). Calgary CMA's population is 1.5 times (48%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Alberta: Joined Confederation on September 1, 1905. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 59 years.
Iowa vs Alberta Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Alberta's $346.0 billion. Alberta's economic output is 1.3 times (30%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Alberta: $70,487. Iowa's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (16%) higher than Alberta's.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Alberta official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Alberta 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.