Chicago
606 km²
Houston
1,725 km²
USA
United States
Area Comparison
Chicago is 2.8x smaller than Houston
Population Comparison
Chicago has 1.2x more people than Houston
Houston is significantly larger, covering 2.8 times the area of Chicago. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,119 km². You could fit Chicago inside Houston approximately 2 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Houston at 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London.
Chicago's footprint is roughly about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Houston, by comparison, equals about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 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.
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County.
Nicknamed "Space City", Houston has an area of 1,725 km² and is home to 2.3 million people. The city dates back to 1836. Visitors come for NASA Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Astros, and much more.
Houston is the fourth-most populous US city with 2.3 million residents at the 2020 census, leading the entire South.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Houston, with 1,333 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Chicago is dramatically more crowded, with 3.3x the population density.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Houston ~2 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 3.3x more densely populated
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).
Houston covers 1,725 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Riyadh (1,798 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bangkok (1,569 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Houston is 1,516 km (942 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 17m.
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