Boston
232 km²
Mexico City
1,485 km²
USA
Mexico
Area Comparison
Boston is 6.4x smaller than Mexico City
Population Comparison
Boston has 13.5x fewer people than Mexico City
Mexico City is significantly larger, covering 6.4 times the area of Boston. Mexico City spans 1,485 km² (573 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 1,253 km². You could fit Boston inside Mexico City approximately 6 times.
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Mexico City at 1,485 km² is roughly the same size as London.
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 Mexico City, that's about 208,000 American football fields, 25 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 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
Mexico City is the capital and most populous city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world, and is classified as an Alpha world city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) 2024 ranking. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico within the high Mexican central plateau, at an altitude of 2,240 meters.
Often called "CDMX", Mexico City has an area of 1,485 km² and is home to 9.2 million people. It was established in 1325. Visitors come for Zocalo square, Chapultepec Park, Frida Kahlo Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Mexico City Metro.
Mexico City sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters in the Valley of Mexico on the high Mexican central plateau.
Looking beyond city limits, the Boston metropolitan area covers 11,700 km², which is 1.5x larger than greater Mexico City at 7,854 km². The Mexico City metro area is also more populous, with 21.8 million people compared to 4.9 million.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Mexico City, with 6,202 people per km², is a densely populated city. Mexico City is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in North America, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Boston (USA) and Mexico City (Mexico) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Boston has a humid continental climate while Mexico City experiences subtropical highland conditions.
Size Ratio
Boston fits inside Mexico City ~6 times
Density Gap
Mexico City is 2.1x more densely populated
History
Mexico City is ~305 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).
Mexico City covers 1,485 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Delhi (1,484 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Mexico City is 3,665 km (2,278 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 49m.
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