City Map Compare/Cairo vs San Diego
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5 km
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Cairo

3,085 km²

San Diego

964 km²

Cairo vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Cairo vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Cairo

Egypt

Area3,085 km²
Population10.10M
Density3,274 /km²
Elevation75 m
Metro Pop.21.3M
Founded969
Climatehot desert
San Diego

United States

Area964 km²
Population1.39M
Density1,442 /km²
Elevation422 m
Founded1769

Area Comparison

Cairo is 3.2x larger than San Diego

Population Comparison

Cairo has 7.3x more people than San Diego

Is Cairo Bigger Than San Diego?

Cairo is significantly larger, covering 3.2 times the area of San Diego. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while San Diego covers 964 km² (372 mi²) — a difference of 2,121 km². You could fit San Diego inside Cairo approximately 3 times.

To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.

In more relatable units, Cairo's 3,085 km² is about 432,000 American football fields, 52 times the area of Manhattan, or 29 times the area of Paris. For San Diego, that's about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris.

About Cairo

Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate. It is home to more than 9.8 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East. The Greater Cairo metropolitan area is one of the largest in the world by population with over 22 million people. Areas of what would become Cairo were inhabited from pre-dynastic and early-dynastic ancient Egypt c.

Known as "The City of a Thousand Minarets", Cairo covers 3,085 km² with a population of 10.1 million. The city was established in 969. Cairo is known for Pyramids of Giza, Great Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Cairo Metro.

Cairo is home to more than 9.8 million people and is part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa and the Arab world.

About San Diego

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.

Nicknamed "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. The city dates back to 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.

San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.

Population Density

Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Cairo is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

San Diego fits inside Cairo ~3 times

Density Gap

Cairo is 2.3x more densely populated

History

Cairo is ~800 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Cairo

Cairo covers 3,085 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hanoi (3,359 km²), Karachi (3,527 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Moscow (2,511 km²), or Cape Town (2,455 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to San Diego

San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Cairo or San Diego?
Cairo is 3.2 times larger than San Diego by area. Cairo covers 3,085 km² while San Diego spans 964 km², a difference of 2,121 km².
How many times does San Diego fit inside Cairo?
San Diego (964 km²) fits inside Cairo (3,085 km²) approximately 3 times. That means Cairo is 3.2x the area of San Diego.
What is the population difference between Cairo and San Diego?
Cairo has approximately 10.1 million people, while San Diego has about 1.4 million. Cairo has 8.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Cairo or San Diego?
Cairo is more densely populated with 3,274 people per km², compared to 1,442 people per km².
Which city is older, Cairo or San Diego?
Cairo is older, founded around 969, while San Diego was established around 1769 — a difference of about 800 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 Cairo and San Diego

The straight-line distance from Cairo to San Diego is 12,284 km (7,633 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 57m.

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