Beijing
16,411 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
China
China
Area Comparison
Beijing is 8.2x larger than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Beijing has 1.2x more people than Shenzhen
Beijing is significantly larger, covering 8.2 times the area of Shenzhen. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² (771 mi²) — a difference of 14,414 km². You could fit Shenzhen inside Beijing approximately 8 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
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. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Nicknamed "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 8.2x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 17.6 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 6.7x the population density.
Both Beijing and Shenzhen are in China, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Shenzhen stays around 15°C while Beijing drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Shenzhen fits inside Beijing ~8 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 6.7x more densely populated
History
Beijing is ~3,024 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).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Shenzhen is 1,943 km (1,207 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 47m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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