City Map Compare/Boston vs Houston
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Boston

232 km²

Houston

1,725 km²

Boston vs Houston - City Size Comparison

Boston vs Houston - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

Area232 km²
Population0.68M
Density2,931 /km²
Elevation43 m
Metro Pop.4.9M
Founded1630
Climatehumid continental
Houston

United States

Area1,725 km²
Population2.30M
Density1,333 /km²
Elevation13 m
Founded1836

Area Comparison

Boston is 7.4x smaller than Houston

Population Comparison

Boston has 3.4x fewer people than Houston

Is Boston Bigger Than Houston?

Yes — Houston is 7.4x larger than Boston by area. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 1,493 km². You could fit Boston inside Houston approximately 7 times.

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Houston at 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London.

In more relatable units, Boston's 232 km² is about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 68 times the area of Central Park. For Houston, that's about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.

About Boston

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

About Houston

Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County.

Nicknamed "Space City", Houston has an area of 1,725 km² and is home to 2.3 million people. The city dates back to 1836. Visitors come for NASA Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Astros, and much more.

Houston is the fourth-most populous US city with 2.3 million residents at the 2020 census, leading the entire South.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Houston, with 1,333 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Boston is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Boston fits inside Houston ~7 times

Density Gap

Boston is 2.2x more densely populated

History

Boston is ~206 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Boston

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Houston

Houston covers 1,725 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Riyadh (1,798 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bangkok (1,569 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston bigger than Houston?
Houston is 7.4 times larger than Boston by area. Houston covers 1,725 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 1,493 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside Houston?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside Houston (1,725 km²) approximately 7 times. That means Houston is 7.4x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and Houston?
Houston has approximately 2.3 million people, while Boston has about 0.7 million. Houston has 1.6 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or Houston?
Boston is more densely populated with 2,931 people per km², compared to 1,333 people per km².
Which city is older, Boston or Houston?
Boston is older, founded around 1630, while Houston was established around 1836 — a difference of about 206 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Boston and Houston

The straight-line distance from Boston to Houston is 2,581 km (1,604 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 32m.

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