Boston
232 km²
Tokyo
2,194 km²
USA
Japan
Area Comparison
Boston is 9.5x smaller than Tokyo
Population Comparison
Boston has 20.5x fewer people than Tokyo
Yes — Tokyo is 9.5x larger than Boston by area. Tokyo spans 2,194 km² (847 mi²) while Boston covers 232 km² (90 mi²) — a difference of 1,962 km². You could fit Boston inside Tokyo approximately 9 times.
To put Boston's size in perspective, its area of 232 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Tokyo at 2,194 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Moscow.
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. Tokyo works out to about 307,000 American football fields, 37 times the area of Manhattan, or 21 times the area of Paris.
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
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city of Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring prefectures, is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with 41 million residents as of 2024.
Nicknamed "Eastern Capital", Tokyo has an area of 2,194 km² and is home to 14.0 million people. Its history stretches back to 1457. Visitors come for Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tokyo Metro & JR East.
Greater Tokyo holds 41 million residents as of 2024, making it the most populous metropolitan area on Earth.
Looking beyond city limits, the Tokyo metropolitan area covers 13,572 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Boston at 11,700 km². The Tokyo metro area is also more populous, with 37.4 million people compared to 4.9 million.
Boston has a population density of 2,931 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tokyo, with 6,363 people per km², is a densely populated city. Tokyo is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Boston in North America versus Tokyo in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Boston has a humid continental climate while Tokyo experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Tokyo, it's midnight in Boston — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Boston fits inside Tokyo ~9 times
Density Gap
Tokyo is 2.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Tokyo is ~173 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).
Tokyo covers 2,194 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Cape Town (2,455 km²), Moscow (2,511 km²), or Lima (2,672 km²).
The straight-line distance from Boston to Tokyo is 10,794 km (6,707 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 12m.
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