Boston
232 km²
Brussels
161 km²
USA
Belgium
Area Comparison
Boston is 1.4x larger than Brussels
Population Comparison
Boston has 1.9x fewer people than Brussels
Boston is significantly larger, covering 1.4 times the area of Brussels. Boston spans 232 km² (90 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 71 km².
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Brussels at 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
Boston's footprint is roughly about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 68 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Brussels, by comparison, equals about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park.
Boston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It serves as a cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. Boston has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the Northeastern United States after New York City and Philadelphia.
Known as "Beantown", Boston covers 232 km² with a population of 0.7 million. The city was established in 1630. Boston is known for Fenway Park, Freedom Trail, Harvard University, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the MBTA (The T).
Boston covers just 125 km2 yet serves as the cultural and financial heart of all New England
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country. It is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, and is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south.
Nicknamed "Capital of Europe", Brussels has an area of 161 km² and is home to 1.3 million people. The city dates back to 1989. Visitors come for Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, and much more.
The Brussels-Capital Region comprises 19 municipalities and forms an enclave entirely within the Flemish Region.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Brussels, with 7,826 people per km², is a densely populated city. Brussels is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Brussels is 2.7x more densely populated
History
Boston is ~359 years older
Boston covers 232 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Osaka (225 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), Helsinki (214 km²), or Edinburgh (259 km²).
Brussels covers 161 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), Miami (143 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Brussels is 5,583 km (3,469 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 4m.
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