Beijing
16,411 km²
Hanoi
3,359 km²
China
Vietnam
Area Comparison
Beijing is 4.9x larger than Hanoi
Population Comparison
Beijing has 2.7x more people than Hanoi
In terms of area, Beijing is 4.9x the size of Hanoi. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Hanoi covers 3,359 km² (1,297 mi²) — a difference of 13,052 km². You could fit Hanoi inside Beijing approximately 4 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Hanoi at 3,359 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Rhode Island.
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. Hanoi works out to about 470,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Manhattan, or 32 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.
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous municipality of Vietnam. It encompasses an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 mi2), and as of 2025 has a population of 8,807,523. Hanoi had the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities at US$48 billion in 2023, behind Ho Chi Minh City. It hosts 78 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), its Vietnam National University system, and other governmental organizations.
Also known as "City Between Rivers", Hanoi has an area of 3,359 km² and is home to 8.1 million people. Its history stretches back to 1010. Visitors come for Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Temple of Literature, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Hanoi Metro.
Hanoi encompasses 3,358.6 square kilometers and had a population of nearly 8.8 million as of 2025.
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 4.9x larger than greater Hanoi at 3,359 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 8.1 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Hanoi, with 2,397 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Hanoi is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Beijing (China) and Hanoi (Vietnam) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Hanoi experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Hanoi stays around 17°C while Beijing drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Hanoi fits inside Beijing ~4 times
Density Gap
Hanoi is 1.8x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~2,055 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).
Hanoi covers 3,359 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Karachi (3,527 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Hanoi is 2,327 km (1,446 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 14m.
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