Cape Town
2,455 km²
Phoenix
1,341 km²
South Africa
United States
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.8x larger than Phoenix
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 2.3x more people than Phoenix
Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 1.8 times the area of Phoenix. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Phoenix covers 1,341 km² (518 mi²) — a difference of 1,114 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Phoenix at 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London.
Cape Town's footprint is roughly about 344,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 23 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Phoenix, that's about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 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.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.
Often called "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix has an area of 1,341 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. The city dates back to 1868. Visitors come for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, and much more.
Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Phoenix, with 1,201 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Cape Town is slightly more compact.
History
Cape Town is ~216 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).
Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Phoenix is 15,481 km (9,619 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 43m.
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