Beijing
16,411 km²
Riyadh
1,798 km²
China
Saudi Arabia
Area Comparison
Beijing is 9.1x larger than Riyadh
Population Comparison
Beijing has 3.1x more people than Riyadh
In terms of area, Beijing is 9.1x the size of Riyadh. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Riyadh covers 1,798 km² (694 mi²) — a difference of 14,613 km². You could fit Riyadh inside Beijing approximately 9 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Riyadh at 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of 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. Riyadh works out to about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 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.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Riyadh has an area of 1,798 km² and is home to 7.0 million people. The city dates back to 1746. Visitors come for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, and much more.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Riyadh, with 3,899 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Riyadh is noticeably denser, packing 3.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Riyadh fits inside Beijing ~9 times
Density Gap
Riyadh is 3.0x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~2,791 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).
Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Riyadh is 6,602 km (4,102 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 16m.
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