Chennai
427 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
City Map Compare/Chennai vs Lagosvs
vs
5 km
India
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Chennai is 2.7x smaller than Lagos
Population Comparison
Chennai has 2.3x fewer people than Lagos
In terms of area, Lagos is 2.7x the size of Chennai. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Chennai covers 427 km² (165 mi²) — a difference of 745 km². You could fit Chennai inside Lagos approximately 2 times.
To put Chennai's size in perspective, its area of 427 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
Chennai's footprint is roughly about 60,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 7 times the area of Manhattan — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Lagos, that's about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.
Chennai, also known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. As per the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most-populous city in India and forms the fourth-most-populous urban agglomeration. The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India.
Known as "Madras", Chennai covers 427 km² with a population of 6.6 million. The city was established in 1639. Chennai is known for Marina Beach, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Fort St. George, among other attractions.
Chennai, formerly Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the sixth-most-populous city in India.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Nicknamed "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Chennai has a population density of 15,457 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Both cities have comparable density, though Chennai is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Chennai fits inside Lagos ~2 times
History
Lagos is ~167 years older
Chennai covers 427 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vienna (415 km²), Oslo (454 km²), Denver (401 km²), Portland (376 km²), or Philadelphia (370 km²).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chennai to Lagos is 8,430 km (5,238 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 25m.
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