Buenos Aires vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Is Buenos Aires Bigger Than San Francisco?

Buenos Aires is significantly larger, covering 1.7 times the area of San Francisco. Buenos Aires spans 203 km² (78 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 82 km².

About Buenos Aires

Argentina's capital and a cultural powerhouse of South America. Known as "The Paris of South America", Buenos Aires covers 203 km² with a population of 3.1 million. The city was established in 1536. Buenos Aires is known for Tango dancing, La Boca neighborhood, Recoleta Cemetery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Buenos Aires Subte.

Buenos Aires has more bookstores per capita than any other city in the world

About San Francisco

A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Also known as "SF", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.

San Francisco's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area

Metropolitan Area Comparison

Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 1.5x larger than greater Buenos Aires at 4,758 km². The Buenos Aires metro area is also more populous, with 15.2 million people compared to 4.7 million.

Population Density

Buenos Aires has a population density of 15,074 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Buenos Aires is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.

Climate & Time Zone

Buenos Aires has a humid subtropical climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Buenos Aires, it's 7:00 AM in San Francisco — a 5-hour time difference.