Athens
39 km²
Chicago
606 km²
Greece
USA
Area Comparison
Athens is 15.5x smaller than Chicago
Population Comparison
Athens has 4.2x fewer people than Chicago
In terms of area, Chicago is 15.5x the size of Athens. Chicago spans 606 km² (234 mi²) while Athens covers 39 km² (15 mi²) — a difference of 567 km². You could fit Athens inside Chicago approximately 15 times.
To put Athens's size in perspective, its area of 39 km² is about 1.5x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Chicago at 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Athens's footprint is roughly about 5,500 American football fields, 80 times the area of Vatican City, or 19 times the area of Monaco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Chicago works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU).
Known as "Cradle of Western Civilization", Athens covers 39 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was founded around 7000 BC. Athens is known for Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Plaka neighborhood, among other attractions.
Athens is the southernmost capital on the European mainland and capital of the Attica region.
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
Nicknamed "The Windy City", Chicago has an area of 606 km² and is home to 2.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1833. Visitors come for Willis Tower, Millennium Park Bean, Navy Pier, and much more. Getting around is easy with the CTA (L train).
Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States with 2.74 million residents at the 2020 census.
Athens has a population density of 16,410 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Chicago, with 4,455 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Athens is dramatically more crowded, with 3.7x the population density.
Athens has a Mediterranean climate climate while Chicago experiences humid continental conditions.
Size Ratio
Athens fits inside Chicago ~15 times
Density Gap
Athens is 3.7x more densely populated
History
Athens is ~8,833 years older
Athens covers 39 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Manila (43 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
Chicago covers 606 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Athens to Chicago is 8,743 km (5,433 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 47m.
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