Boston
232 km²
Seoul
605 km²
USA
South Korea
Area Comparison
Boston is 2.6x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Boston has 14.4x fewer people than Seoul
In terms of area, Seoul is 2.6x the size of Boston. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 373 km². You could fit Boston inside Seoul approximately 2 times.
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. For Seoul, that's about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 1.0x larger than greater Boston at 11,700 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 4.9 million.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 5.5x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Boston in North America versus Seoul in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid continental climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Seoul, it's midnight in Boston — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Boston fits inside Seoul ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 5.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Seoul is ~1,648 years older
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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Seoul is 10,942 km (6,799 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 22m.
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