City Map Compare/Boston vs Phoenix
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Boston

232 km²

Phoenix

1,341 km²

Boston vs Phoenix - City Size Comparison

Boston vs Phoenix - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

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

United States

Area1,341 km²
Population1.61M
Density1,201 /km²
Elevation331 m
Founded1868

Area Comparison

Boston is 5.8x smaller than Phoenix

Population Comparison

Boston has 2.4x fewer people than Phoenix

Is Boston Bigger Than Phoenix?

In terms of area, Phoenix is 5.8x the size of Boston. Phoenix spans 1,341 km² (518 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 1,109 km². You could fit Boston inside Phoenix approximately 5 times.

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Phoenix at 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than 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. Phoenix works out to about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 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 Phoenix

Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.

Nicknamed "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix has an area of 1,341 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. The city dates back to 1868. Visitors come for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, and much more.

Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Phoenix, with 1,201 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Boston is noticeably denser, packing 2.4 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Boston fits inside Phoenix ~5 times

Density Gap

Boston is 2.4x more densely populated

History

Boston is ~238 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 Phoenix

Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston actually bigger than Phoenix?
Phoenix is 5.8 times larger than Boston by area. Phoenix covers 1,341 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 1,109 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside Phoenix?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside Phoenix (1,341 km²) approximately 5 times. That means Phoenix is 5.8x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and Phoenix?
Phoenix has approximately 1.6 million people, while Boston has about 0.7 million. Phoenix has 0.9 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or Phoenix?
Boston is more densely populated with 2,931 people per km², compared to 1,201 people per km².
Which city is older, Boston or Phoenix?
Boston is older, founded around 1630, while Phoenix was established around 1868 — a difference of about 238 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 Phoenix

The straight-line distance from Boston to Phoenix is 3,694 km (2,295 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 51m.

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