City Map Compare/Cape Town vs Portland
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5 km
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Cape Town

2,455 km²

Portland

376 km²

Cape Town vs Portland - City Size Comparison

Cape Town vs Portland - City Size Comparison

Cape Town

South Africa

Area2,455 km²
Population3.78M
Density1,540 /km²
Elevation5 m
Founded1652
Portland

United States

Area376 km²
Population0.65M
Density1,729 /km²
Elevation152 m

Area Comparison

Cape Town is 6.5x larger than Portland

Population Comparison

Cape Town has 5.8x more people than Portland

Is Cape Town Bigger Than Portland?

Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 6.5 times the area of Portland. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Portland covers 376 km² (145 mi²) — a difference of 2,079 km². You could fit Portland 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, Portland at 376 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.

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. For Portland, that's about 53,000 American football fields, 190 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park.

About Cape Town

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.

About Portland

Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Pacific Northwest at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, sixth-most populous on the West Coast, and fourth-most populous in the Pacific Northwest, with a population of 652,503 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolitan area, with over 2.54 million residents, is the 26th-largest metropolitan area in the nation.

Often called "Rose City", Portland has an area of 376 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. Visitors come for Powell's City of Books, Voodoo Doughnut, Washington Park, and much more.

Portland sits at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the Pacific Northwest.

Population Density

Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Portland, with 1,729 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Portland is slightly more compact.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Portland fits inside Cape Town ~6 times

Cities Similar in Size to Cape Town

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Portland

Portland covers 376 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Philadelphia (370 km²), Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Atlanta (348 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cape Town actually bigger than Portland?
Cape Town is 6.5 times larger than Portland by area. Cape Town covers 2,455 km² while Portland spans 376 km², a difference of 2,079 km².
How many times does Portland fit inside Cape Town?
Portland (376 km²) fits inside Cape Town (2,455 km²) approximately 6 times. That means Cape Town is 6.5x the area of Portland.
What is the population difference between Cape Town and Portland?
Cape Town has approximately 3.8 million people, while Portland has about 0.7 million. Cape Town has 3.1 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Cape Town or Portland?
Portland is more densely populated with 1,729 people per km², compared to 1,540 people per km².
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Cape Town and Portland

The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Portland is 16,489 km (10,246 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 54m.

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