The map above shows South Dakota and Italy side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Italy Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Italy has 113,568 square miles (294,140 km²). Italy's land area is 1.5 times (50%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Italy: 116,348 square miles (301,340 km²), including inland and coastal water. Italy's total area is 1.5 times (51%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Italy is 734 miles (1,181 km). Italy's north-south length is 1.7 times (66%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Italy spans 694 miles (1,117 km). Italy's east-west width is 1.9 times (87%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Italy's is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) at 15,778 feet (4,809 m). Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) is 8,580 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Italy's is Jolanda di Savoia at -10 feet. Italy's lowest point is 976 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Italy Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Italy has 58,943,673 (2026). Italy's population is 63.7 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Italy: 519.0. Italy's population density is 42.5 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Italy's is Rome with 2,748,109. Rome's population is 13.1 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area: South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs Italy's Metropolitan City of Rome (4,223,885). Metropolitan City of Rome's population is 13.7 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Italy: Unified as the Kingdom of Italy on March 17, 1861; a republic since 1946. In its current form, Italy is the older of the two by 28 years.
South Dakota vs Italy Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Italy's $2,551.6 billion. Italy's economic output is 33.2 times larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Italy: $43,309. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 1.9 times (92%) higher than Italy's.
Average income: South Dakota: $75,699 vs Italy: $42,080 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Dakota's average income is 1.8 times (80%) higher than Italy's.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Italy official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Italy 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.