The map above shows Montana and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Montana vs Washington Geography
Land area: Montana has a land area of 145,550 square miles (376,973 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Montana's land area is 2.2 times (119%) larger than Washington's.
Total area: Montana: 147,043 square miles (380,840 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Montana's total area is 2.1 times (106%) larger than Washington's.
Length: Montana is 319 miles (514 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Montana's north-south length is 1.3 times (34%) longer than Washington's.
Width: Montana spans 607 miles (976 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Montana's east-west width is 1.5 times (52%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: Montana's highest point is Granite Peak at 12,767 feet (3,891 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 1,642 feet higher than Granite Peak.
Lowest point: Montana's lowest point is Kootenai River at 1,805 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 1,805 feet lower.
Montana vs Washington Population and History
Population: Montana has a population of 1,137,233 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 7.0 times (600%) larger than Montana's.
Population density: Montana: 7.8 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 15.4 times higher than Montana's.
Biggest city: Montana's biggest city is Billings with 121,483 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 6.4 times (543%) larger than Billings'.
Largest metro area: Montana's largest metropolitan area is Billings, MT metro area (192,531 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 21.5 times larger than Billings, MT metro area's.
History: Montana: Admitted to the Union on November 8, 1889, as the 41st state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state.
Montana vs Washington Economy
GDP: Montana's GDP is $78.4 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 10.9 times larger than Montana's.
GDP per capita: Montana: $68,975 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.6 times (56%) higher than Montana's.
Average income: Montana: $69,240 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.2 times (23%) higher than Montana's.
Montana vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Montana has 56 counties, while Washington has 39. Montana's county count is 1.4 times (44%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Montana's largest county is Beaverhead County at 5,543 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Beaverhead County's land area is 1.1 times (5%) larger than Okanogan County's.
Smallest county by area: Montana: Silver Bow County (718 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Silver Bow County's land area is 4.1 times (313%) larger than San Juan County's.
Most populous county: Montana: Yellowstone County (171,583 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 13.6 times larger than Yellowstone County's.
Least populous county: Montana: Petroleum County (525 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 4.6 times (358%) larger than Petroleum County's.
Richest county: Montana: Gallatin County ($94,573 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.4 times (36%) richer than Gallatin County's.
Poorest county: Montana: Blaine County ($37,554 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.3 times (34%) richer than Blaine County's.
Montana vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Montana has a top income tax rate of 5.65%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Montana: 0.69% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.1 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Montana: 0% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 9.57 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Montana official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Montana size comparisons · All Washington 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.