Cape Town
2,455 km²
Johannesburg
1,644 km²
South Africa
South Africa
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.5x larger than Johannesburg
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.3x fewer people than Johannesburg
Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 1.5 times the area of Johannesburg. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² (635 mi²) — a difference of 811 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Johannesburg at 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Cape Town's 2,455 km² is about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris. Johannesburg, by comparison, equals about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.
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.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Nicknamed "Jozi", Johannesburg has an area of 1,644 km² and is home to 4.8 million people. It was established in 1886. Visitors come for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, and much more.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Johannesburg, with 2,920 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Johannesburg is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Johannesburg is 1.9x more densely populated
History
Cape Town is ~234 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).
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Johannesburg is 1,261 km (784 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 59m.
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