Chennai
427 km²
Zurich
88 km²
City Map Compare/Chennai vs Zurichvs
vs
5 km
India
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Chennai is 4.9x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Chennai has 15.3x more people than Zurich
Chennai is significantly larger, covering 4.9 times the area of Zurich. Chennai spans 427 km² (165 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 339 km². You could fit Zurich inside Chennai approximately 4 times.
To put Chennai's size in perspective, its area of 427 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
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. Zurich, by comparison, equals about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. It was founded around 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Chennai has a population density of 15,457 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chennai is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Chennai ~4 times
Density Gap
Chennai is 3.2x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~1,654 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chennai to Zurich is 7,570 km (4,704 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 24m.
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