The map above shows North Dakota and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
North Dakota vs Washington Geography
Land area: North Dakota has a land area of 68,994 square miles (178,694 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). North Dakota and Washington have about the same land area.
Total area: North Dakota: 70,699 square miles (183,109 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. North Dakota and Washington have about the same total area.
Length: North Dakota is 338 miles (544 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). North Dakota's north-south length is 1.4 times (42%) longer than Washington's.
Width: North Dakota spans 408 miles (657 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). North Dakota and Washington have about the same east-west width.
Highest point: North Dakota's highest point is White Butte at 3,500 feet (1,067 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 10,909 feet higher than White Butte.
Lowest point: North Dakota's lowest point is Red River of the North at 754 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Washington's lowest point is 754 feet lower.
North Dakota vs Washington Population and History
Population: North Dakota has a population of 796,568 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Washington's population is 10.0 times (899%) larger than North Dakota's.
Population density: North Dakota: 11.5 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Washington's population density is 10.4 times higher than North Dakota's.
Biggest city: North Dakota's biggest city is Fargo with 136,285 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 5.7 times (473%) larger than Fargo's.
Largest metro area: North Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Fargo, ND-MN metro area (267,793 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's population is 15.5 times larger than Fargo, ND-MN metro area's.
History: North Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state.
North Dakota vs Washington Economy
GDP: North Dakota's GDP is $80.1 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 10.7 times larger than North Dakota's.
GDP per capita: North Dakota: $100,504 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (7%) higher than North Dakota's.
Average income: North Dakota: $71,749 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than North Dakota's.
North Dakota vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: North Dakota has 53 counties, while Washington has 39. North Dakota's county count is 1.4 times (36%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: North Dakota's largest county is McKenzie County at 2,760 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 1.9 times (91%) larger than McKenzie County's.
Smallest county by area: North Dakota: Eddy County (630 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). Eddy County's land area is 3.6 times (262%) larger than San Juan County's.
Most populous county: North Dakota: Cass County (200,945 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 11.6 times larger than Cass County's.
Least populous county: North Dakota: Slope County (660 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Garfield County's population is 3.6 times (264%) larger than Slope County's.
Richest county: North Dakota: Dunn County ($99,793 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). King County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Dunn County's.
Poorest county: North Dakota: Sioux County ($33,782 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.5 times (49%) richer than Sioux County's.
North Dakota vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: North Dakota has a top income tax rate of 2.5%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: North Dakota: 0.96% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. North Dakota's rate is 0.17 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: North Dakota: 7.09% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 2.48 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
North Dakota official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All North Dakota 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.