Chicago
606 km²
Guangzhou
7,434 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
Chicago is 12.3x smaller than Guangzhou
Population Comparison
Chicago has 6.9x fewer people than Guangzhou
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 12.3x the size of Chicago. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 6,828 km². You could fit Chicago inside Guangzhou approximately 12 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Guangzhou at 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Chicago another way: its area is large enough to fit about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan. Guangzhou, by comparison, equals about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris.
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
Known as "The Windy City", Chicago covers 606 km² with a population of 2.7 million. The city was established in 1833. Chicago is known for Willis Tower, Millennium Park Bean, Navy Pier, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the CTA (L train).
Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States with 2.74 million residents at the 2020 census.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Nicknamed "Canton", Guangzhou has an area of 7,434 km² and is home to 18.7 million people. It was founded around 214 BC. Visitors come for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 3.8x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Guangzhou, with 2,513 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chicago is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus Guangzhou in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while Guangzhou experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Guangzhou stays around 14°C while Chicago drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's midnight in Chicago — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Guangzhou ~12 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 1.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~2,047 years older
Chicago covers 606 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Guangzhou is 12,474 km (7,751 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 10m.
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