City Map Compare/Cape Town vs Hangzhou
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5 km
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Cape Town

2,455 km²

Hangzhou

16,854 km²

Cape Town vs Hangzhou - City Size Comparison

Cape Town vs Hangzhou - City Size Comparison

Cape Town

South Africa

Area2,455 km²
Population3.78M
Density1,540 /km²
Elevation5 m
Founded1652
Hangzhou

People's Republic of China

Area16,854 km²
Population11.94M
Density708 /km²
Elevation19 m

Area Comparison

Cape Town is 6.9x smaller than Hangzhou

Population Comparison

Cape Town has 3.2x fewer people than Hangzhou

Is Cape Town Bigger Than Hangzhou?

Hangzhou is significantly larger, covering 6.9 times the area of Cape Town. Hangzhou spans 16,854 km² (6,507 mi²) while Cape Town covers 2,455 km² (948 mi²) — a difference of 14,399 km². You could fit Cape Town inside Hangzhou approximately 6 times.

To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Hangzhou at 16,854 km² is about 2.7x the size of Shanghai.

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 Hangzhou, that's about 2,400,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco.

About Cape Town

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.

About Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Often called "Paradise on Earth", Hangzhou has an area of 16,854 km² and is home to 11.9 million people. Visitors come for West Lake, Grand Canal terminus, Lingyin Temple, and much more.

Hangzhou's West Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing visitors to its celebrated cultural landscape.

Population Density

Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Hangzhou, with 708 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Cape Town is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Cape Town fits inside Hangzhou ~6 times

Density Gap

Cape Town is 2.2x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Cape Town

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Hangzhou

Hangzhou covers 16,854 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Beijing (16,411 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cape Town actually bigger than Hangzhou?
Hangzhou is 6.9 times larger than Cape Town by area. Hangzhou covers 16,854 km² while Cape Town spans 2,455 km², a difference of 14,399 km².
How many times does Cape Town fit inside Hangzhou?
Cape Town (2,455 km²) fits inside Hangzhou (16,854 km²) approximately 6 times. That means Hangzhou is 6.9x the area of Cape Town.
What is the population difference between Cape Town and Hangzhou?
Hangzhou has approximately 11.9 million people, while Cape Town has about 3.8 million. Hangzhou has 8.2 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Cape Town or Hangzhou?
Cape Town is more densely populated with 1,540 people per km², compared to 708 people per km².
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 Cape Town and Hangzhou

The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Hangzhou is 12,818 km (7,965 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 35m.

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