Chicago
606 km²
Johannesburg
1,644 km²
USA
South Africa
Area Comparison
Chicago is 2.7x smaller than Johannesburg
Population Comparison
Chicago has 1.8x fewer people than Johannesburg
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 2.7 times the area of Chicago. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,038 km². You could fit Chicago inside Johannesburg approximately 2 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Johannesburg at 1,644 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. Johannesburg works out to about 230,000 American football fields, 28 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.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Also known as "Jozi", Johannesburg has an area of 1,644 km² and is home to 4.8 million people. Its history stretches back to 1886. Visitors come for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, and much more.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Johannesburg, with 2,920 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Chicago is noticeably denser, packing 1.5 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Johannesburg ~2 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 1.5x 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).
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Johannesburg is 13,983 km (8,688 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 57m.
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