Chennai
427 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
City Map Compare/Chennai vs San Franciscovs
vs
5 km
India
United States
Area Comparison
Chennai is 3.5x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Chennai has 7.6x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Chennai is 3.5x larger than San Francisco by area. Chennai spans 427 km² (165 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 306 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Chennai approximately 3 times.
To put Chennai's size in perspective, its area of 427 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
In more relatable units, Chennai's 427 km² is about 60,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 7 times the area of Manhattan. For San Francisco, that's about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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.
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.
Nicknamed "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 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.
Chennai has a population density of 15,457 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Chennai is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Chennai ~3 times
Density Gap
Chennai is 2.1x more densely populated
History
Chennai is ~137 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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Dublin (115 km²), Doha (132 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Miami (143 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chennai to San Francisco is 13,884 km (8,627 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 50m.
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