City Map Compare/Brussels vs New York
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Brussels

161 km²

New York

783 km²

Brussels vs New York - City Size Comparison

Brussels vs New York - City Size Comparison

Brussels

Belgium

Area161 km²
Population1.26M
Density7,826 /km²
Elevation13 m
Founded1989
New York

USA

Area783 km²
Population8.34M
Density10,651 /km²
Elevation10 m
Metro Pop.20.1M
Founded1624
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Brussels is 4.9x smaller than New York

Population Comparison

Brussels has 6.6x fewer people than New York

Is Brussels Bigger Than New York?

In terms of area, New York is 4.9x the size of Brussels. New York spans 783 km² (302 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 622 km². You could fit Brussels inside New York approximately 4 times.

To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, New York at 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin.

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. New York works out to about 110,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.

About Brussels

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.

About New York

New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area.

Often called "New York City", New York has an area of 783 km² and is home to 8.3 million people. It was established in 1624. Visitors come for Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and much more. Getting around is easy with the NYC Subway.

New York City sits on one of the world's largest natural harbors, which shaped its rise as America's commercial gateway.

Population Density

Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. New York, with 10,651 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Both cities have comparable density, though New York is slightly more compact.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Brussels fits inside New York ~4 times

Density Gap

New York is 1.4x more densely populated

History

New York is ~365 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Brussels

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).

Cities Similar in Size to New York

New York covers 783 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hamburg (755 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), Singapore (733 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brussels actually bigger than New York?
New York is 4.9 times larger than Brussels by area. New York covers 783 km² while Brussels spans 161 km², a difference of 622 km².
How many times does Brussels fit inside New York?
Brussels (161 km²) fits inside New York (783 km²) approximately 4 times. That means New York is 4.9x the area of Brussels.
What is the population difference between Brussels and New York?
New York has approximately 8.3 million people, while Brussels has about 1.3 million. New York has 7.1 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Brussels or New York?
New York is more densely populated with 10,651 people per km², compared to 7,826 people per km².
Which city is older, Brussels or New York?
New York is older, founded around 1624, while Brussels was established around 1989 — a difference of about 365 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 Brussels and New York

The straight-line distance from Brussels to New York is 5,889 km (3,659 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 26m.

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