The map above shows Iowa and Northern Territory side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Northern Territory Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Northern Territory has 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²). Northern Territory's land area is 9.3 times (833%) larger than Iowa's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Northern Territory: 520,902 square miles (1,349,129 km²), including inland and coastal water. Northern Territory's total area is 9.3 times (826%) larger than Iowa's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Northern Territory is 1,092 miles (1,758 km). Northern Territory's north-south length is 5.1 times (406%) longer than Iowa's.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Northern Territory spans 610 miles (981 km). Northern Territory's east-west width is 1.8 times (82%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Northern Territory's is Mount Zeil at 5,023 feet (1,531 m). Mount Zeil is 3,354 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Northern Territory's is Timor Sea at 0 feet. Northern Territory's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Northern Territory Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Northern Territory has 265,457 (2025). Iowa's population is 12.2 times larger than Northern Territory's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Northern Territory: 0.5. Iowa's population density is 116.0 times higher than Northern Territory's.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Northern Territory's Greater Darwin (159,284). Omaha, NE-IA metro area's population is 6.3 times (528%) larger than Greater Darwin's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Northern Territory: Became a federal territory on January 1, 1911; self-governing since 1978. In its current form, Iowa is the older of the two by 65 years.
Iowa vs Northern Territory Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Northern Territory's $22.4 billion. Iowa's economic output is 11.9 times larger than Northern Territory's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Northern Territory: $84,383. Iowa and Northern Territory have about the same GDP per capita.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Northern Territory official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Northern Territory 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.