The map above shows Iowa and Virginia side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Iowa vs Virginia Geography
Land area: Iowa has a land area of 55,854 square miles (144,660 km²), while Virginia has 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²). Iowa's land area is 1.4 times (41%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: Iowa: 56,273 square miles (145,746 km²) vs Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²), including inland and coastal water. Iowa's total area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: Iowa is 216 miles (347 km) long from north to south; Virginia is 223 miles (359 km). Iowa and Virginia have about the same north-south length.
Width: Iowa spans 335 miles (539 km) east to west; Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km). Virginia's east-west width is 1.4 times (39%) wider than Iowa's.
Highest point: Iowa's highest point is Hawkeye Point at 1,669 feet (509 m); Virginia's is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m). Mount Rogers is 4,060 feet higher than Hawkeye Point.
Lowest point: Iowa's lowest point is Mississippi River at 480 feet; Virginia's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Virginia's lowest point is 480 feet lower.
Iowa vs Virginia Population and History
Population: Iowa has a population of 3,241,488 (2024), while Virginia has 8,811,195 (2024). Virginia's population is 2.7 times (172%) larger than Iowa's.
Population density: Iowa: 58.0 people per square mile vs Virginia: 223.2. Virginia's population density is 3.8 times (285%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest city: Iowa's biggest city is Des Moines with 213,096 people; Virginia's is Virginia Beach with 454,808. Virginia Beach's population is 2.1 times (113%) larger than Des Moines'.
Largest metro area: Iowa's largest metropolitan area is Omaha, NE-IA metro area (1,001,010 people) vs Virginia's Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 6.4 times (543%) larger than Omaha, NE-IA metro area's.
History: Iowa: Admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, as the 29th state. Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 58 years.
Iowa vs Virginia Economy
GDP: Iowa's GDP is $265.8 billion (2024) vs Virginia's $761.7 billion. Virginia's economic output is 2.9 times (187%) larger than Iowa's.
GDP per capita: Iowa: $81,998 per person vs Virginia: $86,451. Virginia's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (5%) higher than Iowa's.
Average income: Iowa: $65,225 vs Virginia: $77,351 average income per person (per capita personal income). Virginia's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Iowa's.
Iowa vs Virginia Counties
Number of counties: Iowa has 99 counties, while Virginia has 133. Virginia's county count is 1.3 times (34%) higher than Iowa's.
Biggest county by area: Iowa's largest county is Kossuth County at 973 square miles; Virginia's is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles. Kossuth County and Pittsylvania County have about the same land area.
Smallest county by area: Iowa: Dickinson County (381 sq mi) vs Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi). Dickinson County's land area is 190.3 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Iowa: Polk County (516,185 people) vs Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people). Fairfax County's population is 2.2 times (125%) larger than Polk County's.
Least populous county: Iowa: Adams County (3,606 people) vs Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people). Adams County's population is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Highland County's.
Richest county: Iowa: Mitchell County ($98,211 per capita income) vs Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624). Arlington County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Mitchell County's.
Poorest county: Iowa: Decatur County ($46,134 per capita income) vs Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032). Decatur County's income is 1.1 times (12%) richer than Sussex County's.
Iowa vs Virginia Taxes
State income tax: Iowa has a top income tax rate of 3.8%, while Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%. Virginia's top rate is 1.95 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Iowa: 1.29% effective rate vs Virginia: 0.71% of home value per year. Iowa's rate is 0.58 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Iowa: 6.94% combined state and average local rate vs Virginia: 5.77%. Iowa's combined rate is 1.17 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Iowa official website · Virginia official website
More Size Comparisons
All Iowa size comparisons · All Virginia 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.