Virginia is 1.32× the size of Hokkaido (Japan)

Virginia (state of the United States) covers about 104,000 km² (40,000 mi²) and Hokkaido (Japan) (prefecture of Japan) about 78,800 km² (30,400 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

104,000km²Virginia
78,800km²Hokkaido (Japan)

200 km

Virginia
Hokkaido (Japan)

Hokkaido (Japan): Part of this region's boundary is disputed with Russia. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.

What fits

Hokkaido (Japan) is 76% of the size of Virginia.
Virginia is larger by 24,900 km² (9,630 mi²), which is 32% of the area of Hokkaido (Japan).
Measured in Belgiums: Virginia is about 3.38, Hokkaido (Japan) about 2.57.

How they differ

Virginia also has the larger population: 8.6 million against 5.4 million, 1.59× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 83 in Virginia against 69 in Hokkaido (Japan): Virginia is 1.21× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 10,100 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Virginia at 38°N is drawn about 1.6× too large and Hokkaido (Japan) at 43°N about 1.9×, so the map shows Virginia as 1.11× the size of Hokkaido (Japan) instead of 1.32×.
Together Virginia and Hokkaido (Japan) cover 183,000 km², close to the size of Cambodia (181,000 km², 0.8% smaller).
The gap between them, 24,900 km², is about the size of Rwanda (25,300 km²).
At Hokkaido (Japan)'s density, Virginia would have 7.2 million people (it has 8.6 million). At Virginia's density, Hokkaido (Japan) would have 6.6 million (it has 5.4 million).
Hokkaido (Japan)'s centre is 5.9° of latitude, about 650 km, farther north than Virginia's.
Virginia is the 37th largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 1.1% of its area; it is the 15th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) is the largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 21% of its area; it is the 47th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) lies about 6° of latitude (roughly 651 km) north of Virginia.
Shared out evenly, each person in Virginia would have about 12,020 m² and each person in Hokkaido (Japan) about 14,500 m².
Laid side by side, Virginia and Hokkaido (Japan) would cover 183,000 km², about the same size as Cambodia.
Together they have 14.1 million people, about as many people as Benin.

Side by side

	Virginia	Hokkaido (Japan)
Is a	StateUnited States	PrefectureJapan
Area, measured	104,000 km²40,000 mi²	78,800 km²30,400 mi²
Official area	111,000 km²Wikidata	83,400 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	37th of 51in the United States	1st of 47in Japan
Population	8.6 millionWikidata, 2020	5.4 millionWikidata, 2014
Rank by population	12th of 51in the United States	8th of 47in Japan
Density	83 per km²	69 per km²
Capital	Richmond	Sapporo
Latitude range	37°N to 39°N	41°N to 46°N

Population: Wikidata 2020 and Wikidata 2014. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Our measured 104,000 km² is 6.4% below Wikidata's official figure of 111,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.
Our measured 78,800 km² is 5.6% below Wikidata's official figure of 83,400 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.

Similar in size to Virginia

Similar in size to Hokkaido (Japan)

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain
Boundary: De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
Area: Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
Drawing: Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
Data built: 2026-11-12

Full method