City Map Compare/Boston vs San Diego
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Boston

232 km²

San Diego

964 km²

Boston vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Boston vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Boston

USA

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

United States

Area964 km²
Population1.39M
Density1,442 /km²
Elevation422 m
Founded1769

Area Comparison

Boston is 4.2x smaller than San Diego

Population Comparison

Boston has 2.0x fewer people than San Diego

Is Boston Bigger Than San Diego?

San Diego is significantly larger, covering 4.2 times the area of Boston. San Diego spans 964 km² (372 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 732 km². You could fit Boston inside San Diego approximately 4 times.

To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.

In more relatable units, Boston's 232 km² is about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 68 times the area of Central Park. San Diego, by comparison, equals about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 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 San Diego

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.

Often called "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.

San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.

Population Density

Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Boston is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Boston fits inside San Diego ~4 times

Density Gap

Boston is 2.0x more densely populated

History

Boston is ~139 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 San Diego

San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston bigger than San Diego?
San Diego is 4.2 times larger than Boston by area. San Diego covers 964 km² while Boston spans 232 km², a difference of 732 km².
How many times does Boston fit inside San Diego?
Boston (232 km²) fits inside San Diego (964 km²) approximately 4 times. That means San Diego is 4.2x the area of Boston.
What is the population difference between Boston and San Diego?
San Diego has approximately 1.4 million people, while Boston has about 0.7 million. San Diego has 0.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Boston or San Diego?
Boston is more densely populated with 2,931 people per km², compared to 1,442 people per km².
Which city is older, Boston or San Diego?
Boston is older, founded around 1630, while San Diego was established around 1769 — a difference of about 139 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 San Diego

The straight-line distance from Boston to San Diego is 4,150 km (2,579 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 23m.

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