Amsterdam
219 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
Netherlands
USA
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 1.8x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 1.1x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Amsterdam is 1.8x larger than San Francisco by area. Amsterdam spans 219 km² (85 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 98 km².
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Picture Amsterdam another way: its area is large enough to fit about 31,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 64 times the area of Central Park. San Francisco works out to about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Often called "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 2.7x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The San Francisco metro area is also more populous, with 4.7 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Amsterdam, it's 3:00 AM in San Francisco — a 9-hour time difference.
Density Gap
San Francisco is 1.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Amsterdam is ~501 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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to San Francisco is 8,773 km (5,452 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 49m.
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