Amsterdam
219 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
Netherlands
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 5.4x smaller than Lagos
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 16.7x fewer people than Lagos
In terms of area, Lagos is 5.4x the size of Amsterdam. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 953 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Lagos approximately 5 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
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. Lagos, by comparison, equals about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
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
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Nicknamed "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. The city dates back to 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Looking beyond city limits, the Lagos metropolitan area covers 2,706 km², which is 1.0x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Lagos metro area is also more populous, with 21.0 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 3.1x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Lagos in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Lagos experiences tropical savanna conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Lagos stays around 27°C while Amsterdam drops to 3°C.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Lagos ~5 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 3.1x more densely populated
History
Amsterdam is ~197 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).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Lagos is 5,099 km (3,169 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~6h 30m.
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