Beijing
16,411 km²
Tehran
730 km²
China
Iran
Area Comparison
Beijing is 22.5x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Beijing has 2.4x more people than Tehran
Yes — Beijing is 22.5x larger than Tehran by area. Beijing spans 16,411 km² (6,336 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 15,681 km². You could fit Tehran inside Beijing approximately 22 times.
To put Beijing's size in perspective, its area of 16,411 km² is about 2.6x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
Picture Beijing another way: its area is large enough to fit about 2,300,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. It was established in 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Beijing metropolitan area covers 16,411 km², which is 7.3x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Beijing metro area is also more populous, with 21.5 million people compared to 16.0 million.
Beijing has a population density of 1,313 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 9.5x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Beijing (China) and Tehran (Iran) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Beijing has a humid continental climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Beijing, it's 7.5:00 AM in Tehran — a 4.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Beijing ~22 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 9.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
4.5 hours apart
History
Beijing is ~2,569 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).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Beijing to Tehran is 5,605 km (3,483 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 6m.
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