Chengdu
14,378 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
People's Republic of China
USA
Area Comparison
Chengdu is 118.8x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Chengdu has 24.1x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Chengdu is 118.8x larger than San Francisco by area. Chengdu spans 14,378 km² (5,551 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 14,257 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Chengdu approximately 118 times.
To put Chengdu's size in perspective, its area of 14,378 km² is about 2.3x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
In more relatable units, Chengdu's 14,378 km² is about 2,000,000 American football fields, 140 times the area of Paris, or 120 times the area of San Francisco. San Francisco works out to about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Chengdu has a population density of 1,456 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is dramatically more crowded, with 4.9x the population density.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Chengdu ~118 times
Density Gap
San Francisco is 4.9x more densely populated
History
Chengdu is ~2,086 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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chengdu to San Francisco is 11,004 km (6,838 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 27m.
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