Beijing
16,411 km²
Phoenix
1,341 km²
China
United States
Area Comparison
Beijing is 12.2x larger than Phoenix
Population Comparison
Beijing has 13.4x more people than Phoenix
In terms of area, Beijing is 12.2x the size of Phoenix. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Phoenix covers 1,341 km² (518 mi²) — a difference of 15,070 km². You could fit Phoenix inside Beijing approximately 12 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Phoenix at 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London.
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. Phoenix, by comparison, equals about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 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.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.
Nicknamed "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix has an area of 1,341 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. The city dates back to 1868. Visitors come for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, and much more.
Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Phoenix, with 1,201 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Beijing is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Phoenix fits inside Beijing ~12 times
History
Beijing is ~2,913 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).
Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Phoenix is 10,458 km (6,498 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 48m.
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