The map above shows Virginia and Washington side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Virginia vs Washington Geography
Land area: Virginia has a land area of 39,481 square miles (102,256 km²), while Washington has 66,455 square miles (172,119 km²). Washington's land area is 1.7 times (68%) larger than Virginia's.
Total area: Virginia: 42,775 square miles (110,786 km²) vs Washington: 71,301 square miles (184,668 km²), including inland and coastal water. Washington's total area is 1.7 times (67%) larger than Virginia's.
Length: Virginia is 223 miles (359 km) long from north to south; Washington is 238 miles (383 km). Washington's north-south length is 1.1 times (7%) longer than Virginia's.
Width: Virginia spans 466 miles (750 km) east to west; Washington spans 399 miles (641 km). Virginia's east-west width is 1.2 times (17%) wider than Washington's.
Highest point: Virginia's highest point is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet (1,746 m); Washington's is Mount Rainier at 14,409 feet (4,392 m). Mount Rainier is 8,680 feet higher than Mount Rogers.
Lowest point: Virginia's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Washington's is Pacific Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Virginia vs Washington Population and History
Population: Virginia has a population of 8,811,195 (2024), while Washington has 7,958,180 (2024). Virginia's population is 1.1 times (11%) larger than Washington's.
Population density: Virginia: 223.2 people per square mile vs Washington: 119.8. Virginia's population density is 1.9 times (86%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest city: Virginia's biggest city is Virginia Beach with 454,808 people; Washington's is Seattle with 780,995. Seattle's population is 1.7 times (72%) larger than Virginia Beach's.
Largest metro area: Virginia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Washington's Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (4,145,494). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.6 times (55%) larger than Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area's.
History: Virginia: Admitted to the Union on June 25, 1788, as the 10th state. Washington: Admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, as the 42nd state. In its current form, Virginia is the older of the two by 101 years.
Virginia vs Washington Economy
GDP: Virginia's GDP is $761.7 billion (2024) vs Washington's $856.0 billion. Washington's economic output is 1.1 times (12%) larger than Virginia's.
GDP per capita: Virginia: $86,451 per person vs Washington: $107,564. Washington's GDP per capita is 1.2 times (24%) higher than Virginia's.
Average income: Virginia: $77,351 vs Washington: $85,187 average income per person (per capita personal income). Washington's average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than Virginia's.
Virginia vs Washington Counties
Number of counties: Virginia has 133 counties, while Washington has 39. Virginia's county count is 3.4 times (241%) higher than Washington's.
Biggest county by area: Virginia's largest county is Pittsylvania County at 969 square miles; Washington's is Okanogan County at 5,266 square miles. Okanogan County's land area is 5.4 times (443%) larger than Pittsylvania County's.
Smallest county by area: Virginia: Falls Church city (2 sq mi) vs Washington: San Juan County (174 sq mi). San Juan County's land area is 87.0 times larger than Falls Church city's.
Most populous county: Virginia: Fairfax County (1,160,925 people) vs Washington: King County (2,340,211 people). King County's population is 2.0 times (102%) larger than Fairfax County's.
Least populous county: Virginia: Highland County (2,348 people) vs Washington: Garfield County (2,404 people). Highland County and Garfield County have about the same population.
Richest county: Virginia: Arlington County ($131,624 per capita income) vs Washington: King County ($128,684). Arlington County and King County have about the same income.
Poorest county: Virginia: Sussex County ($41,032 per capita income) vs Washington: Ferry County ($50,456). Ferry County's income is 1.2 times (23%) richer than Sussex County's.
Virginia vs Washington Taxes
State income tax: Virginia has a top income tax rate of 5.75%, while Washington has a 9% tax on capital gains only.
Property tax: Virginia: 0.71% effective rate vs Washington: 0.79% of home value per year. Washington's rate is 0.08 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Virginia: 5.77% combined state and average local rate vs Washington: 9.57%. Washington's combined rate is 3.8 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Virginia official website · Washington official website
More Size Comparisons
All Virginia 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.