Beijing
16,411 km²
San Diego
964 km²
China
United States
Area Comparison
Beijing is 17.0x larger than San Diego
Population Comparison
Beijing has 15.5x more people than San Diego
Yes — Beijing is 17.0x larger than San Diego by area. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while San Diego covers 964 km² (372 mi²) — a difference of 15,447 km². You could fit San Diego inside Beijing approximately 17 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.
In more relatable units, Beijing's 16,411 km² is about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. San Diego, by comparison, equals about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 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.
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.
Also known as "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. The city dates back to 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.
San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though San Diego is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
San Diego fits inside Beijing ~17 times
History
Beijing is ~2,814 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).
San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to San Diego is 10,241 km (6,363 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 33m.
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