Barcelona
101 km²
Brussels
161 km²
Spain
Belgium
Area Comparison
Barcelona is 1.6x smaller than Brussels
Population Comparison
Barcelona has 1.3x more people than Brussels
Brussels is significantly larger, covering 1.6 times the area of Barcelona. Brussels spans 161 km² (62 mi²) while Barcelona covers 101 km² (39 mi²) — a difference of 60 km².
To put Barcelona's size in perspective, its area of 101 km² is roughly the same size as Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Brussels at 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
Picture Barcelona another way: its area is large enough to fit about 14,000 American football fields, 50 times the area of Monaco, or 30 times the area of Central Park. Brussels, by comparison, equals about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park.
Barcelona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.7 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of Barcelona and is home to around 5.7 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area of the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.
Known as "Ciutat Comtal", Barcelona covers 101 km² with a population of 1.7 million. The city was founded around 230 BC. Barcelona is known for Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, La Rambla, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Barcelona Metro (TMB).
Barcelona is the second-most populous municipality in Spain and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia.
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country. It is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, and is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south.
Also known as "Capital of Europe", Brussels has an area of 161 km² and is home to 1.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1989. Visitors come for Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, and much more.
The Brussels-Capital Region comprises 19 municipalities and forms an enclave entirely within the Flemish Region.
Barcelona has a population density of 16,436 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Brussels, with 7,826 people per km², is a densely populated city. Barcelona is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Barcelona is 2.1x more densely populated
History
Barcelona is ~2,219 years older
Barcelona covers 101 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Lisbon (100 km²), Paris (105 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), Vancouver (115 km²), or Zurich (88 km²).
Brussels covers 161 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), Miami (143 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
The straight-line distance from Barcelona to Brussels is 1,065 km (662 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 45m.
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