Beijing
16,411 km²
Chennai
427 km²
China
India
Area Comparison
Beijing is 38.4x larger than Chennai
Population Comparison
Beijing has 3.3x more people than Chennai
Yes — Beijing is 38.4x larger than Chennai by area. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Chennai covers 427 km² (165 mi²) — a difference of 15,984 km². You could fit Chennai inside Beijing approximately 38 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chennai at 427 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Seoul.
In more relatable units, Beijing's 16,411 km² is about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. For Chennai, that's about 60,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 7 times the area of Manhattan.
Beijing, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city, as well as China's second-largest city by urban area, after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban districts.
Known as "Northern Capital", Beijing covers 16,411 km² with a population of 21.5 million. The city was founded around 1045 BC. Beijing is known for Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Beijing Subway.
With over 22 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city.
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India.
Nicknamed "Madras", Chennai has an area of 427 km² and is home to 6.6 million people. The city dates back to 1639. Visitors come for Marina Beach, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Fort St. George, and much more.
Chennai, formerly Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the sixth-most-populous city in India.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Chennai, with 15,457 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Chennai is dramatically more crowded, with 11.8x the population density.
Size Ratio
Chennai fits inside Beijing ~38 times
Density Gap
Chennai is 11.8x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~2,684 years older
Beijing covers 16,411 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hangzhou (16,854 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Chennai covers 427 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vienna (415 km²), Oslo (454 km²), Denver (401 km²), Portland (376 km²), or Philadelphia (370 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Chennai is 4,617 km (2,869 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 56m.
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