Cape Town
2,455 km²
Los Angeles
1,302 km²
South Africa
USA
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.9x larger than Los Angeles
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.1x fewer people than Los Angeles
Yes — Cape Town is 1.9x larger than Los Angeles by area. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Los Angeles covers 1,302 km² (503 mi²) — a difference of 1,153 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Los Angeles at 1,302 km² is about 1.2x smaller than 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. Los Angeles works out to about 182,000 American football fields, 22 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Los Angeles (LA) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3.88 million residents within the city limits as of 2024, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind New York City, and the largest city in the Western United States. The city has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.9 million people (2024).
Nicknamed "The City of Angels", Los Angeles has an area of 1,302 km² and is home to 4.0 million people. It was established in 1781. Visitors come for Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, and much more. Getting around is easy with the LA Metro.
Los Angeles is the second-most populous city in the United States, home to 3.88 million residents within city limits as of 2024.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Los Angeles, with 3,049 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Los Angeles is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Los Angeles is 2.0x more densely populated
History
Cape Town is ~129 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).
Los Angeles covers 1,302 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Rome (1,285 km²), Phoenix (1,341 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), San Antonio (1,209 km²), or Lagos (1,172 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Los Angeles is 16,051 km (9,974 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 23m.
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