Athens
39 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
Greece
USA
Area Comparison
Athens is 3.1x smaller than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Athens has 1.4x fewer people than San Francisco
San Francisco is significantly larger, covering 3.1 times the area of Athens. San Francisco spans 121 km² (47 mi²) while Athens covers 39 km² (15 mi²) — a difference of 82 km². You could fit Athens inside San Francisco approximately 3 times.
To put Athens's size in perspective, its area of 39 km² is about 1.5x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
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. San Francisco, by comparison, equals about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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.
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.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. Its history stretches 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.
Athens has a population density of 16,410 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Athens is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.
Athens has a Mediterranean climate climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions.
Size Ratio
Athens fits inside San Francisco ~3 times
Density Gap
Athens is 2.3x more densely populated
History
Athens is ~8,776 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).
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 Athens to San Francisco is 10,905 km (6,776 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 20m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.