Brussels
161 km²
Edinburgh
259 km²
Belgium
United Kingdom
Area Comparison
Brussels is 1.6x smaller than Edinburgh
Population Comparison
Brussels has 2.6x more people than Edinburgh
Edinburgh is significantly larger, covering 1.6 times the area of Brussels. Edinburgh spans 259 km² (100 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 98 km².
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Edinburgh at 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam.
Brussels's footprint is roughly about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Edinburgh, that's about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park.
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country. It is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, and is separate from the Flemish Region (Flanders), within which it forms an enclave, and the Walloon Region (Wallonia), located less than 4 km (2.5 mi) south.
Known as "Capital of Europe", Brussels covers 161 km² with a population of 1.3 million. The city was established in 1989. Brussels is known for Grand Place, Manneken Pis, Atomium, among other attractions.
The Brussels-Capital Region comprises 19 municipalities and forms an enclave entirely within the Flemish Region.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.
Nicknamed "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh has an area of 259 km² and is home to 0.5 million people. It was established in 601. Visitors come for Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, and much more.
Edinburgh is bounded by the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Edinburgh, with 1,892 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Brussels is dramatically more crowded, with 4.1x the population density.
Density Gap
Brussels is 4.1x more densely populated
History
Edinburgh is ~1,388 years older
Brussels covers 161 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), Miami (143 km²), Stockholm (188 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
Edinburgh covers 259 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Taipei (272 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Boston (232 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Amsterdam (219 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Edinburgh is 756 km (470 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 23m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.