Boston
232 km²
Melbourne
9,993 km²
USA
Australia
Area Comparison
Boston is 43.1x smaller than Melbourne
Population Comparison
Boston has 7.5x fewer people than Melbourne
Melbourne is significantly larger, covering 43.1 times the area of Boston. Melbourne spans 9,993 km² (3,858 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 9,761 km². You could fit Boston inside Melbourne approximately 43 times.
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Melbourne at 9,993 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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. Melbourne, by comparison, equals about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 95 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
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia. The city's name generally refers to a 9,993-square-kilometre (3,858 sq mi) area, comprising an urban agglomeration of 31 local government areas. The name is also used to specifically refer to the local government area named City of Melbourne, whose area is centred on the Melbourne central business district and some immediate surrounds.
Melbourne has an area of 9,993 km² and is home to 5.1 million people. Its history stretches back to 1835. Visitors come for Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Cricket Ground, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Melbourne Trams & Metro.
Melbourne's metropolitan area spans 9,993 square kilometers across 31 local government areas, making it Australia's second-most-populous city.
Looking beyond city limits, the Boston metropolitan area covers 11,700 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Melbourne at 9,993 km². The Melbourne metro area is also more populous, with 5.1 million people compared to 4.9 million.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Melbourne, with 508 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Boston is dramatically more crowded, with 5.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Boston in North America versus Melbourne in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Boston has a humid continental climate while Melbourne experiences oceanic conditions. When it's noon in Melbourne, it's midnight in Boston — a 15-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Boston fits inside Melbourne ~43 times
Density Gap
Boston is 5.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
15 hours apart
History
Boston is ~205 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).
Melbourne covers 9,993 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Xi'an (10,097 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Melbourne is 16,933 km (10,522 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 25m.
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