Cape Town
2,455 km²
Chicago
606 km²
South Africa
USA
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 4.1x larger than Chicago
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.4x more people than Chicago
Yes — Cape Town is 4.1x larger than Chicago by area. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,849 km². You could fit Chicago inside Cape Town approximately 4 times.
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Chicago at 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Picture Cape Town another way: its area is large enough to fit about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris. For Chicago, that's about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality.
Known as "The Mother City", Cape Town covers 2,455 km² with a population of 3.8 million. The city was established in 1652. Cape Town is known for Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, among other attractions.
Cape Town is South Africa's oldest city, founded in 1652 and home to the seat of the national Parliament.
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
Nicknamed "The Windy City", Chicago has an area of 606 km² and is home to 2.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1833. Visitors come for Willis Tower, Millennium Park Bean, Navy Pier, and much more. Getting around is easy with the CTA (L train).
Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States with 2.74 million residents at the 2020 census.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Chicago, with 4,455 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chicago is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Cape Town ~4 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 2.9x more densely populated
History
Cape Town is ~181 years older
Cape Town covers 2,455 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Moscow (2,511 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Shenzhen (1,997 km²).
Chicago covers 606 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Chicago is 13,668 km (8,493 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 35m.
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