City Map Compare/Boston vs Portland
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Boston

232 km²

Portland

376 km²

Boston vs Portland - City Size Comparison

Boston vs Portland - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

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

United States

Area376 km²
Population0.65M
Density1,729 /km²
Elevation152 m

Area Comparison

Boston is 1.6x smaller than Portland

Population Comparison

Boston has 1.0x more people than Portland

Is Boston Bigger Than Portland?

Yes — Portland is 1.6x larger than Boston by area. Portland spans 376 km² (145 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 144 km².

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Portland at 376 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.

Picture Boston another way: its area is large enough to fit about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 68 times the area of Central Park. For Portland, that's about 53,000 American football fields, 190 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park.

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 Portland

Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Pacific Northwest at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and fourth-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, with a population of 652,503 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolitan area, with over 2.54 million residents, is the 26th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.

Often called "Rose City", Portland has an area of 376 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. Visitors come for Powell's City of Books, Voodoo Doughnut, Washington Park, and much more.

Portland sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the Pacific Northwest.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Portland, with 1,729 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Boston is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Density Gap

Boston is 1.7x more densely populated

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 Portland

Portland covers 376 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Philadelphia (370 km²), Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Atlanta (348 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston bigger than Portland?
Portland is 1.6 times larger than Boston by area. Portland covers 376 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 144 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside Portland?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside Portland (376 km²) approximately 1 times. That means Portland is 1.6x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and Portland?
Boston has approximately 0.7 million people, while Portland has about 0.7 million. Boston has 0.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or Portland?
Boston is more densely populated with 2,931 people per km², compared to 1,729 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 Portland

The straight-line distance from Boston to Portland is 4,077 km (2,533 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 18m.

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