Beijing
16,411 km²
Philadelphia
370 km²
China
United States
Area Comparison
Beijing is 44.4x larger than Philadelphia
Population Comparison
Beijing has 13.5x more people than Philadelphia
Beijing is significantly larger, covering 44.4 times the area of Philadelphia. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Philadelphia covers 370 km² (143 mi²) — a difference of 16,041 km². You could fit Philadelphia inside Beijing approximately 44 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Philadelphia at 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.
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. Philadelphia, by comparison, equals about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a Census-estimated population of 1,574,281 in July 2025. The Philadelphia metropolitan area has 6.33 million residents and is the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, and history, maintaining contemporary influence in business and technology, sports, and music.
Also known as "Philly", Philadelphia has an area of 370 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. Its history stretches back to 1682. Visitors come for Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philly Cheesesteak, and much more.
Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city, with an estimated 1,574,281 residents as of July 2025.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Philadelphia, with 4,324 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Philadelphia is dramatically more crowded, with 3.3x the population density.
Size Ratio
Philadelphia fits inside Beijing ~44 times
Density Gap
Philadelphia is 3.3x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~2,727 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).
Philadelphia covers 370 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Philadelphia is 11,058 km (6,871 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 31m.
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