Brussels
161 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Belgium
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Brussels is 1.8x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Brussels has 2.9x more people than Zurich
Yes — Brussels is 1.8x larger than Zurich by area. Brussels spans 161 km² (62 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 73 km².
To put Brussels's size in perspective, its area of 161 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
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. Zurich works out to about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Brussels has a population density of 7,826 people per km² — a densely populated city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Brussels is noticeably denser, packing 1.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Brussels is 1.6x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~2,004 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Brussels to Zurich is 492 km (305 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 5m.
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