The map above shows United States and California side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
United States vs California Geography
Land area: United States has a land area of 3,533,467 square miles (9,151,637 km²), while California has 155,859 square miles (403,673 km²). United States' land area is 22.7 times larger than California's.
Total area: United States: 3,802,784 square miles (9,849,165 km²) vs California: 163,694 square miles (423,965 km²), including inland and coastal water. United States' total area is 23.2 times larger than California's.
Length: United States is 3,628 miles (5,839 km) long from north to south; California is 761 miles (1,224 km). United States' north-south length is 4.8 times (377%) longer than California's.
Width: United States spans 4,824 miles (7,763 km) east to west; California spans 706 miles (1,137 km). United States' east-west width is 6.8 times (583%) wider than California's.
Highest point: United States's highest point is Denali at 20,308 feet (6,190 m); California's is Mount Whitney at 14,484 feet (4,415 m). Denali is 5,824 feet higher than Mount Whitney.
Lowest point: United States's lowest point is Death Valley at -279 feet; California's is Death Valley at -279 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
United States vs California Population and History
Population: United States has a population of 340,110,988 (2024), while California has 39,431,263 (2024). United States' population is 8.6 times (763%) larger than California's.
Population density: United States: 96.3 people per square mile vs California: 253.0. California's population density is 2.6 times (163%) higher than United States'.
Biggest city: United States's biggest city is New York with 8,478,072 people; California's is Los Angeles with 3,878,704. New York's population is 2.2 times (119%) larger than Los Angeles'.
Largest metro area: United States's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs California's Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (12,927,614). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 1.5 times (54%) larger than Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area's.
History: United States: Declared independence on July 4, 1776. California: Admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850, as the 31st state. In its current form, United States is the older of the two by 74 years.
United States vs California Economy
GDP: United States's GDP is $30,769.7 billion (2025) vs California's $4,048.1 billion. United States' economic output is 7.6 times (660%) larger than California's.
GDP per capita: United States: $89,599 per person vs California: $102,662. California's GDP per capita is 1.1 times (15%) higher than United States'.
Official Websites
United States official website · California official website
More Size Comparisons
All United States size comparisons · All California 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.