Cape Town
2,455 km²
Philadelphia
370 km²
South Africa
United States
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 6.6x larger than Philadelphia
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 2.4x more people than Philadelphia
Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 6.6 times the area of Philadelphia. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Philadelphia covers 370 km² (143 mi²) — a difference of 2,085 km². You could fit Philadelphia inside Cape Town 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, Philadelphia at 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.
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. Philadelphia, by comparison, equals about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a Census-estimated population of 1,574,281 in July 2025. The Philadelphia metropolitan area has 6.33 million residents and is the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, and history, maintaining contemporary influence in business and technology, sports, and music.
Nicknamed "Philly", Philadelphia has an area of 370 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. It was established in 1682. Visitors come for Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philly Cheesesteak, and much more.
Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city, with an estimated 1,574,281 residents as of July 2025.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Philadelphia, with 4,324 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Philadelphia is noticeably denser, packing 2.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Philadelphia fits inside Cape Town ~6 times
Density Gap
Philadelphia is 2.8x more densely populated
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).
Philadelphia covers 370 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Philadelphia is 12,617 km (7,840 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 21m.
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