Cape Town
2,455 km²
Riyadh
1,798 km²
South Africa
Saudi Arabia
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.4x larger than Riyadh
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.9x fewer people than Riyadh
Yes — Cape Town is 1.4x larger than Riyadh by area. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Riyadh covers 1,798 km² (694 mi²) — a difference of 657 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Riyadh at 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London.
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. Riyadh works out to about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 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.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Riyadh has an area of 1,798 km² and is home to 7.0 million people. The city dates back to 1746. Visitors come for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, and much more.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Riyadh, with 3,899 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Riyadh is noticeably denser, packing 2.5 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Riyadh is 2.5x 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).
Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 km²).
The straight-line distance from Cape Town to Riyadh is 7,165 km (4,452 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 56m.
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