Chengdu
14,378 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
People's Republic of China
China
Area Comparison
Chengdu is 2.3x larger than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Chengdu has 1.2x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Chengdu is 2.3x the size of Shanghai. Chengdu spans 14,378 km² (5,551 mi²) while Shanghai covers 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) — a difference of 8,037 km². You could fit Shanghai inside Chengdu approximately 2 times.
To put Chengdu's size in perspective, its area of 14,378 km² is about 2.3x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
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. For Shanghai, that's about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
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.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Also known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. It was established in 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Chengdu has a population density of 1,456 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Shanghai is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Shanghai fits inside Chengdu ~2 times
Density Gap
Shanghai is 2.7x more densely populated
History
Chengdu is ~1,601 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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chengdu to Shanghai is 1,660 km (1,031 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 27m.
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