Brussels
161 km²
Paris
105 km²
Belgium
France
Area Comparison
Brussels is 1.5x larger than Paris
Population Comparison
Brussels has 1.7x fewer people than Paris
Brussels is significantly larger, covering 1.5 times the area of Paris. Brussels spans 161 km² (62 mi²) while Paris covers 105 km² (41 mi²) — a difference of 56 km².
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Paris at 105 km² is about 1.2x smaller than San Francisco.
Picture Brussels another way: its area is large enough to fit about 23,000 American football fields, 80 times the area of Monaco, or 47 times the area of Central Park. Paris, by comparison, equals about 15,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Monaco, or 31 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.
Paris is the capital and largest city of France, with an estimated city population of 2.04 million in an area of 105.4 km2 (40.7 sq mi), and a metropolitan population of 13.2 million as of January 2026. Located on the river Seine in the centre of the Île-de-France region, it is the largest metropolitan area and fourth-most populous city in the European Union (EU).
Often called "City of Light", Paris has an area of 105 km² and is home to 2.2 million people. It was founded around 250 BC. Visitors come for Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Paris Métro.
Paris packs 2.04 million people into just 105 km2, giving it one of the highest urban densities in Europe.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Paris, with 20,571 people per km², is one of the most densely packed urban areas on Earth. Paris is noticeably denser, packing 2.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Paris is 2.6x more densely populated
History
Paris is ~2,239 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).
Paris covers 105 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Barcelona (101 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Vancouver (115 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), or Copenhagen (91 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Paris is 264 km (164 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~49m.
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