Beijing
16,411 km²
Guangzhou
7,434 km²
China
China
Area Comparison
Beijing is 2.2x larger than Guangzhou
Population Comparison
Beijing has 1.2x more people than Guangzhou
In terms of area, Beijing is 2.2x the size of Guangzhou. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) — a difference of 8,977 km². You could fit Guangzhou inside Beijing approximately 2 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Guangzhou at 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai.
Beijing's footprint is roughly about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Guangzhou, by comparison, equals about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris.
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.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Often called "Canton", Guangzhou has an area of 7,434 km² and is home to 18.7 million people. It was founded around 214 BC. Visitors come for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 2.2x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 18.7 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Guangzhou, with 2,513 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Guangzhou is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Both Beijing and Guangzhou are in China, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Guangzhou experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Guangzhou stays around 14°C while Beijing drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Guangzhou fits inside Beijing ~2 times
Density Gap
Guangzhou is 1.9x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~831 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).
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Guangzhou is 1,889 km (1,174 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 43m.
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