The map above shows South Dakota and Scotland side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs Scotland Geography
Land area: South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while Scotland has 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²). South Dakota's land area is 2.5 times (152%) larger than Scotland's.
Total area: South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs Scotland: 30,090 square miles (77,933 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Dakota's total area is 2.6 times (156%) larger than Scotland's.
Length: South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; Scotland is 440 miles (708 km). South Dakota and Scotland have about the same north-south length.
Width: South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; Scotland spans 313 miles (504 km). South Dakota's east-west width is 1.2 times (19%) wider than Scotland's.
Highest point: South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); Scotland's is Ben Nevis at 4,413 feet (1,345 m). Black Elk Peak is 2,785 feet higher than Ben Nevis.
Lowest point: South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; Scotland's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Scotland's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
South Dakota vs Scotland Population and History
Population: South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while Scotland has 5,480,000 (2022). Scotland's population is 5.9 times (493%) larger than South Dakota's.
Population density: South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs Scotland: 182.1. Scotland's population density is 14.9 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city: South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; Scotland's is Glasgow with 632,350. Glasgow's population is 3.0 times (202%) larger than Sioux Falls'.
History: South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state. Scotland: A country within the United Kingdom; a kingdom from the 9th century until the 1707 union with England. In its current form, Scotland is the older of the two by 1,046 years.
South Dakota vs Scotland Economy
GDP: South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs Scotland's $191.7 billion. Scotland's economic output is 2.5 times (150%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita: South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs Scotland: $34,973. South Dakota's GDP per capita is 2.4 times (137%) higher than Scotland's.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · Scotland official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota size comparisons · All Scotland 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.