Beijing
16,411 km²
New York
783 km²
China
USA
Area Comparison
Beijing is 21.0x larger than New York
Population Comparison
Beijing has 2.6x more people than New York
Yes — Beijing is 21.0x larger than New York by area. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while New York covers 783 km² (302 mi²) — a difference of 15,628 km². You could fit New York inside Beijing approximately 20 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, New York at 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin.
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. New York works out to about 110,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area.
Nicknamed "New York City", New York has an area of 783 km² and is home to 8.3 million people. The city dates back to 1624. Visitors come for Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and much more. Getting around is easy with the NYC Subway.
New York City sits on one of the world's largest natural harbors, which shaped its rise as America's commercial gateway.
Looking beyond city limits, the New York metropolitan area covers 17,405 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Beijing at 16,411 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 20.1 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. New York, with 10,651 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. New York is dramatically more crowded, with 8.1x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Beijing in Asia versus New York in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while New York experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Beijing, it's midnight in New York — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
New York fits inside Beijing ~20 times
Density Gap
New York is 8.1x more densely populated
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
Beijing is ~2,669 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).
New York covers 783 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hamburg (755 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), Singapore (733 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to New York is 10,989 km (6,828 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 26m.
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