Amsterdam
219 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Netherlands
South Korea
Area Comparison
Amsterdam is 2.8x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Amsterdam has 10.6x fewer people than Seoul
In terms of area, Seoul is 2.8x the size of Amsterdam. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Amsterdam covers 219 km² (85 mi²) — a difference of 386 km². You could fit Amsterdam inside Seoul approximately 2 times.
To put Amsterdam's size in perspective, its area of 219 km² is about 1.2x the size of Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. Seoul, by comparison, equals about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 4.5x larger than greater Amsterdam at 2,580 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 2.5 million.
Amsterdam has a population density of 4,201 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 3.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Amsterdam in Europe versus Seoul in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Amsterdam has a oceanic climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions. When it's noon in Seoul, it's 4:00 AM in Amsterdam — a 8-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Amsterdam fits inside Seoul ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 3.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
8 hours apart
History
Seoul is ~1,293 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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Amsterdam to Seoul is 8,556 km (5,317 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 34m.
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