City Map Compare/Boston vs Montreal
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Boston

232 km²

Montreal

498 km²

Boston vs Montreal - City Size Comparison

Boston vs Montreal - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

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

Canada

Area498 km²
Population1.76M
Density3,534 /km²
Elevation31 m
Founded1642

Area Comparison

Boston is 2.1x smaller than Montreal

Population Comparison

Boston has 2.6x fewer people than Montreal

Is Boston Bigger Than Montreal?

Montreal is significantly larger, covering 2.1 times the area of Boston. Montreal spans 498 km² (192 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 266 km². You could fit Boston inside Montreal approximately 2 times.

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Montreal at 498 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Seoul.

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. Montreal, by comparison, equals about 70,000 American football fields, 150 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan.

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 Montreal

Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest in Canada, and the eighth-largest in North America. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", it now takes its name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked mountain around which the early settlement was built. The city is centred on the Island of Montreal and a few, much smaller, peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard.

Often called "MTL", Montreal has an area of 498 km² and is home to 1.8 million people. Its history stretches back to 1642. Visitors come for Mount Royal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Montreal, and much more.

Montreal was founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, meaning 'City of Mary', before adopting its current name from Mount Royal.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Montreal, with 3,534 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Montreal is slightly more compact.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Boston fits inside Montreal ~2 times

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 Montreal

Montreal covers 498 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Warsaw (517 km²), Budapest (525 km²), Oslo (454 km²), or Auckland (559 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston bigger than Montreal?
Montreal is 2.1 times larger than Boston by area. Montreal covers 498 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 266 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside Montreal?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside Montreal (498 km²) approximately 2 times. That means Montreal is 2.1x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and Montreal?
Montreal has approximately 1.8 million people, while Boston has about 0.7 million. Montreal has 1.1 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or Montreal?
Montreal is more densely populated with 3,534 people per km², compared to 2,931 people per km².
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 Montreal

The straight-line distance from Boston to Montreal is 403 km (250 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~58m.

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