Cairo
3,085 km²
Tehran
730 km²
Egypt
Iran
Area Comparison
Cairo is 4.2x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Cairo has 1.1x more people than Tehran
Yes — Cairo is 4.2x larger than Tehran by area. Cairo spans 3,085 km² (1,191 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 2,355 km². You could fit Tehran inside Cairo approximately 4 times.
To put Cairo's size in perspective, its area of 3,085 km² is about 1.2x the size of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
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. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
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.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. The city dates back to 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Cairo metropolitan area covers 6,588 km², which is 2.9x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Cairo metro area is also more populous, with 21.3 million people compared to 16.0 million.
Cairo has a population density of 3,274 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 3.8x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Cairo in Africa versus Tehran in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Cairo has a hot desert climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Cairo ~4 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 3.8x more densely populated
History
Cairo is ~555 years older
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).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cairo to Tehran is 1,980 km (1,230 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 50m.
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