Virginia is 2.50× the size of Switzerland
Virginia (state of the United States) covers about 104,000 km² (40,000 mi²) and Switzerland (Europe) about 41,400 km² (16,000 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 104,000km²Virginia
- 41,400km²Switzerland
200 km
- Virginia
- Switzerland
What fits
- Switzerland fits inside Virginia about 2.50 times by area.
- Virginia is larger by 62,300 km² (24,000 mi²), which is 150% of the area of Switzerland.
- Measured in Belgiums: Virginia is about 3.38, Switzerland about 1.35.
How they differ
- Virginia is larger, but Switzerland has the larger population: 9.1 million against 8.6 million, 1.05× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 220 in Switzerland against 83 in Virginia: Switzerland is 2.64× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 6,880 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: Virginia at 38°N is drawn about 1.6× too large and Switzerland at 47°N about 2.1×, so the map shows Virginia as 1.86× the size of Switzerland instead of 2.50×.
- Together Virginia and Switzerland cover 145,000 km², close to the size of Suriname (145,000 km², 0.0% smaller).
- The gap between them, 62,300 km², is about the size of Latvia (64,600 km²).
- At Switzerland's density, Virginia would have 22.8 million people (it has 8.6 million). At Virginia's density, Switzerland would have 3.4 million (it has 9.1 million).
- Switzerland's centre is 9.3° of latitude, about 1,030 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.
- Switzerland ranks 135th of 246 countries and territories by area.
- Switzerland lies about 9° of latitude (roughly 1,030 km) north of Virginia.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Virginia would have about 12,020 m² and each person in Switzerland about 4,550 m².
- Laid side by side, Virginia and Switzerland would cover 145,000 km², about the same size as Suriname.
- Together they have 17.7 million people, about as many people as Malawi.
- Counted as a country, Virginia would rank 107th by area and 100th by population.
Side by side
| Virginia | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | StateUnited States | CountryEurope |
| Area, measured | 104,000 km²40,000 mi² | 41,400 km²16,000 mi² |
| Official area | 111,000 km²Wikidata | 41,300 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 37th of 51in the United States | 134th of 239worldwide |
| Population | 8.6 millionWikidata, 2020 | 9.1 millionWikidata, 2025 |
| Rank by population | 12th of 51in the United States | 96th of 237worldwide |
| Density | 83 per km² | 220 per km² |
| Capital | Richmond | Bern |
| Latitude range | 37°N to 39°N | 46°N to 48°N |
Population: Wikidata 2020 and Wikidata 2025. 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.
- Wikidata's official figure of 41,300 km² agrees with our measured area of 41,400 km², to within 2%.
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Similar in size to Switzerland
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Sources and method
- Outlines
- Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain for the region; Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries, 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