Cape Town
2,455 km²
London
1,572 km²
South Africa
UK
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.6x larger than London
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 2.4x fewer people than London
Yes — Cape Town is 1.6x larger than London by area. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while London covers 1,572 km² (607 mi²) — a difference of 883 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, London at 1,572 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Tokyo (city proper).
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. London works out to about 220,000 American football fields, 27 times the area of Manhattan, or 15 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.
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years.
Often called "The Big Smoke", London has an area of 1,572 km² and is home to 9.0 million people. The city dates back to 43. Visitors come for Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the London Underground.
London has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years, tracing its roots back to Roman times around 47 AD.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. London, with 5,712 people per km², is a densely populated city. London is dramatically more crowded, with 3.7x the population density.
Density Gap
London is 3.7x more densely populated
History
London is ~1,609 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).
London covers 1,572 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bangkok (1,569 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to London is 9,671 km (6,009 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 53m.
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