Cape Town
2,455 km²
Rome
1,285 km²
South Africa
Italy
Area Comparison
Cape Town is 1.9x larger than Rome
Population Comparison
Cape Town has 1.3x more people than Rome
Cape Town is significantly larger, covering 1.9 times the area of Rome. Cape Town spans 2,455 km² (948 mi²) while Rome covers 1,285 km² (496 mi²) — a difference of 1,170 km².
To put Cape Town's size in perspective, its area of 2,455 km² is roughly the same size as Moscow. Meanwhile, Rome at 1,285 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. Rome, by comparison, equals about 180,000 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.
Rome is the capital city and most populated comune (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special comune named Roma Capitale with a population of 2.7 million in an area of 1,287.36 km2 (497.1 mi2), Rome is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, with a population of 4.2 million, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy.
Often called "The Eternal City", Rome has an area of 1,285 km² and is home to 2.9 million people. It was founded around 753 BC. Visitors come for Colosseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Rome Metro.
Rome's special comune Roma Capitale spans 1,287 km2, making it the third most populous city in the EU within city limits
Cape Town has a population density of 1,540 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Rome, with 2,233 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Rome is slightly more compact.
Density Gap
Rome is 1.4x more densely populated
History
Rome is ~2,405 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).
Rome covers 1,285 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 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 Rome is 8,453 km (5,253 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 27m.
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