Atlanta
348 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
United States
China
Area Comparison
Atlanta is 18.2x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Atlanta has 49.7x fewer people than Shanghai
Yes — Shanghai is 18.2x larger than Atlanta by area. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Atlanta covers 348 km² (134 mi²) — a difference of 5,993 km². You could fit Atlanta inside Shanghai approximately 18 times.
To put Atlanta's size in perspective, its area of 348 km² is about 1.6x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Picture Atlanta another way: its area is large enough to fit about 49,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Monaco, or 100 times the area of Central Park. Shanghai works out to about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Fulton County and extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 498,715 at the 2020 census and an estimated 520,070 in 2024, Atlanta is the eighth-most populous city in the Southeast and the 36th-most populous city in the United States. Atlanta is classified as a Beta+ global city.
Known as "The ATL", Atlanta covers 348 km² with a population of 0.5 million. The city was established in 1845. Atlanta is known for Coca-Cola headquarters, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Georgia Aquarium, among other attractions.
Atlanta is Georgia's capital and most populous city, with around 520,070 residents estimated in 2024.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Often called "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Atlanta has a population density of 1,437 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Shanghai is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Atlanta fits inside Shanghai ~18 times
Density Gap
Shanghai is 2.7x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~554 years older
Atlanta covers 348 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Dhaka (368 km²), Seattle (369 km²), Philadelphia (370 km²), Portland (376 km²), or Munich (311 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Atlanta to Shanghai is 12,297 km (7,641 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 58m.
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