Beijing
16,411 km²
Chicago
606 km²
China
USA
Area Comparison
Beijing is 27.1x larger than Chicago
Population Comparison
Beijing has 8.0x more people than Chicago
In terms of area, Beijing is 27.1x the size of Chicago. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 15,805 km². You could fit Chicago inside Beijing approximately 27 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chicago at 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Picture Beijing another way: its area is large enough to fit about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. Chicago works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 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.
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.
Also known as "The Windy City", Chicago has an area of 606 km² and is home to 2.7 million people. It was established in 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.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Beijing at 16,411 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Chicago, with 4,455 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chicago is dramatically more crowded, with 3.4x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Beijing in Asia versus Chicago in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid continental climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Beijing, it's midnight in Chicago — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Beijing ~27 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 3.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Beijing is ~2,878 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).
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 Beijing to Chicago is 10,603 km (6,589 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 58m.
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