City Map Compare/Amsterdam vs Houston
vs
5 km
|

Amsterdam

219 km²

Houston

1,725 km²

Amsterdam vs Houston - City Size Comparison

Amsterdam vs Houston - City Size Comparison

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Area219 km²
Population0.92M
Density4,201 /km²
Elevation-2 m
Metro Pop.2.5M
Founded1275
Climateoceanic
Houston

United States

Area1,725 km²
Population2.30M
Density1,333 /km²
Elevation13 m
Founded1836

Area Comparison

Amsterdam is 7.9x smaller than Houston

Population Comparison

Amsterdam has 2.5x fewer people than Houston

Is Amsterdam Bigger Than Houston?

In terms of area, Houston is 7.9x the size of Amsterdam. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 1,506 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Houston approximately 7 times.

To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Houston at 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London.

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. Houston works out to about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.

About Amsterdam

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

About Houston

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.

Population Density

Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Houston, with 1,333 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Amsterdam is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Amsterdam fits inside Houston ~7 times

Density Gap

Amsterdam is 3.2x more densely populated

History

Amsterdam is ~561 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Amsterdam

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Houston

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).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amsterdam actually bigger than Houston?
Houston is 7.9 times larger than Amsterdam by area. Houston covers 1,725 km² while Amsterdam spans 219 km², a difference of 1,506 km².
How many times does Amsterdam fit inside Houston?
Amsterdam (219 km²) fits inside Houston (1,725 km²) approximately 7 times. That means Houston is 7.9x the area of Amsterdam.
What is the population difference between Amsterdam and Houston?
Houston has approximately 2.3 million people, while Amsterdam has about 0.9 million. Houston has 1.4 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Amsterdam or Houston?
Amsterdam is more densely populated with 4,201 people per km², compared to 1,333 people per km².
Which city is older, Amsterdam or Houston?
Amsterdam is older, founded around 1275, while Houston was established around 1836 — a difference of about 561 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Amsterdam and Houston

The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Houston is 8,076 km (5,018 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h.

Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.