City Map Compare/Boston vs Riyadh
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Boston

232 km²

Riyadh

1,798 km²

Boston vs Riyadh - City Size Comparison

Boston vs Riyadh - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

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

Saudi Arabia

Area1,798 km²
Population7.01M
Density3,899 /km²
Elevation612 m
Founded1746

Area Comparison

Boston is 7.8x smaller than Riyadh

Population Comparison

Boston has 10.3x fewer people than Riyadh

Is Boston Bigger Than Riyadh?

Riyadh is significantly larger, covering 7.8 times the area of Boston. Riyadh spans 1,798 km² (694 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 1,566 km². You could fit Boston inside Riyadh approximately 7 times.

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Riyadh at 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London.

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. Riyadh, by comparison, equals about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 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 Riyadh

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.

Riyadh has an area of 1,798 km² and is home to 7.0 million people. The city dates back to 1746. Visitors come for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, and much more.

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Riyadh, with 3,899 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Riyadh is slightly more compact.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Boston fits inside Riyadh ~7 times

Density Gap

Riyadh is 1.3x more densely populated

History

Boston is ~116 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 Riyadh

Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston actually bigger than Riyadh?
Riyadh is 7.8 times larger than Boston by area. Riyadh covers 1,798 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 1,566 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside Riyadh?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside Riyadh (1,798 km²) approximately 7 times. That means Riyadh is 7.8x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and Riyadh?
Riyadh has approximately 7.0 million people, while Boston has about 0.7 million. Riyadh has 6.3 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or Riyadh?
Riyadh is more densely populated with 3,899 people per km², compared to 2,931 people per km².
Which city is older, Boston or Riyadh?
Boston is older, founded around 1630, while Riyadh was established around 1746 — a difference of about 116 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 Riyadh

The straight-line distance from Boston to Riyadh is 10,213 km (6,346 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 31m.

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