Brussels
161 km²
Philadelphia
370 km²
Belgium
United States
Area Comparison
Brussels is 2.3x smaller than Philadelphia
Population Comparison
Brussels has 1.3x fewer people than Philadelphia
Yes — Philadelphia is 2.3x larger than Brussels by area. Philadelphia spans 370 km² (143 mi²) while Brussels covers 161 km² (62 mi²) — a difference of 209 km². You could fit Brussels inside Philadelphia approximately 2 times.
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Philadelphia at 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.
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. Philadelphia, by comparison, equals about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 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.
Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a Census-estimated population of 1,574,281 in July 2025. The Philadelphia metropolitan area has 6.33 million residents and is the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, and history, maintaining contemporary influence in business and technology, sports, and music.
Also known as "Philly", Philadelphia has an area of 370 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. It was established in 1682. Visitors come for Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philly Cheesesteak, and much more.
Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city, with an estimated 1,574,281 residents as of July 2025.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Philadelphia, with 4,324 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Brussels is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Brussels fits inside Philadelphia ~2 times
Density Gap
Brussels is 1.8x more densely populated
History
Philadelphia is ~307 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).
Philadelphia covers 370 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Philadelphia is 6,018 km (3,740 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 35m.
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