Amsterdam
219 km²
Beijing
16,411 km²
Netherlands
China
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 74.9x smaller than Beijing
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 23.4x fewer people than Beijing
Beijing is significantly larger, covering 74.9 times the area of Amsterdam. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 16,192 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Beijing approximately 74 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Beijing at 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai.
Amsterdam's footprint is roughly about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Beijing, that's about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco.
Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the Dutch province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the North", for its large number of canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Known as "Venice of the North", Amsterdam covers 219 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1275. Amsterdam is known for Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the GVB (Metro & Tram).
Amsterdam's historic canal ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, earning it the nickname Venice of the North
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban districts.
Often called "Northern Capital", Beijing has an area of 16,411 km² and is home to 21.5 million people. The city dates back to 1045 BC. Visitors come for Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Beijing Subway.
With over 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city.
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 6.4x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Beijing, with 1,313 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Amsterdam is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Beijing in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Beijing experiences humid continental conditions. Summers are notably different: Beijing averages 27°C compared to 17°C in Amsterdam. When it's noon in Beijing, it's 5:00 AM in Amsterdam — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Beijing ~74 times
Density Gap
Amsterdam is 3.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Beijing is ~2,320 years older
Amsterdam covers 219 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Helsinki (214 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Boston (232 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), or Kuala Lumpur (243 km²).
Beijing covers 16,411 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Beijing is 7,822 km (4,860 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 42m.
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