Chengdu
14,378 km²
Chicago
606 km²
People's Republic of China
USA
Area Comparison
Chengdu is 23.7x larger than Chicago
Population Comparison
Chengdu has 7.8x more people than Chicago
Yes — Chengdu is 23.7x larger than Chicago by area. Chengdu spans 14,378 km² (5,551 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 13,772 km². You could fit Chicago inside Chengdu approximately 23 times.
To put Chengdu's size in perspective, its area of 14,378 km² is about 2.3x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chicago at 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Chengdu's footprint is roughly about 2,000,000 American football fields, 140 times the area of Paris, or 120 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Chicago works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Chengdu is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a population of 20,937,757 at the 2020 census, it is the fourth most populous city in China, and it is the only city with a population of over 20 million apart from provincial-level municipalities. It is traditionally the hub of Western China.
Known as "Land of Abundance", Chengdu covers 14,378 km² with a population of 20.9 million. The city was founded around 310 BC. Chengdu is known for Giant Panda Breeding Base, Jinli Ancient Street, Wuhou Shrine, among other attractions.
Chengdu has a population of over 20.9 million, making it the fourth most populous city in China.
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
Often called "The Windy City", Chicago has an area of 606 km² and is home to 2.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1833. Visitors come for Willis Tower, Millennium Park Bean, Navy Pier, and much more. Getting around is easy with the CTA (L train).
Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States with 2.74 million residents at the 2020 census.
Chengdu has a population density of 1,456 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Chicago, with 4,455 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chicago is dramatically more crowded, with 3.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Chengdu ~23 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 3.1x more densely populated
History
Chengdu is ~2,143 years older
Chengdu covers 14,378 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Brisbane (15,826 km²), Beijing (16,411 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Hangzhou (16,854 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
Chicago covers 606 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chengdu to Chicago is 11,861 km (7,370 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 27m.
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