Abu Dhabi
972 km²
Houston
1,725 km²
United Arab Emirates
United States
Area Comparison
Abu Dhabi is 1.8x smaller than Houston
Population Comparison
Abu Dhabi has 1.5x fewer people than Houston
In terms of area, Houston is 1.8x the size of Abu Dhabi. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² (375 mi²) — a difference of 753 km².
To put Abu Dhabi's size in perspective, its area of 972 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin. Meanwhile, Houston at 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Abu Dhabi's footprint is roughly about 136,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Houston works out to about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's second-most populous city, after Dubai. The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Persian Gulf from the central-western coast of the UAE.
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² with a population of 1.6 million. Abu Dhabi is known for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, among other attractions.
Abu Dhabi sits on a T-shaped island extending into the Persian Gulf from the UAE's central-western coast.
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County.
Often called "Space City", Houston has an area of 1,725 km² and is home to 2.3 million people. It was established in 1836. Visitors come for NASA Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Astros, and much more.
Houston is the fourth-most populous US city with 2.3 million residents at the 2020 census, leading the entire South.
Abu Dhabi has a population density of 1,615 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Houston, with 1,333 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Abu Dhabi is slightly more compact.
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Diego (964 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
Houston covers 1,725 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Riyadh (1,798 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bangkok (1,569 km²).
The straight-line distance from Abu Dhabi to Houston is 13,175 km (8,186 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 60m.
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