Boston
232 km²
Guangzhou
7,434 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
Boston is 32.0x smaller than Guangzhou
Population Comparison
Boston has 27.5x fewer people than Guangzhou
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 32.0x the size of Boston. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 7,202 km². You could fit Boston inside Guangzhou approximately 32 times.
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Guangzhou at 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai.
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. For Guangzhou, that's about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris.
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
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Also known as "Canton", Guangzhou has an area of 7,434 km² and is home to 18.7 million people. The city dates back to 214 BC. Visitors come for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Looking beyond city limits, the Boston metropolitan area covers 11,700 km², which is 1.6x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 4.9 million.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Guangzhou, with 2,513 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Boston is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Boston in North America versus Guangzhou in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Boston has a humid continental climate while Guangzhou experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's midnight in Boston — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Boston fits inside Guangzhou ~32 times
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,844 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).
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Guangzhou is 12,719 km (7,904 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 28m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.