Chicago
606 km²
New York
783 km²
USA
USA
Area Comparison
Chicago is 1.3x smaller than New York
Population Comparison
Chicago has 3.1x fewer people than New York
Yes — New York is 1.3x larger than Chicago by area. New York spans 783 km² (302 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 177 km².
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, New York at 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin.
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. New York works out to about 110,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area.
Often called "New York City", New York has an area of 783 km² and is home to 8.3 million people. The city dates back to 1624. Visitors come for Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and much more. Getting around is easy with the NYC Subway.
New York City sits on one of the world's largest natural harbors, which shaped its rise as America's commercial gateway.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 1.6x larger than greater New York at 17,405 km². The New York metro area is also more populous, with 20.1 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. New York, with 10,651 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. New York is noticeably denser, packing 2.4 times more people per square kilometer.
Both Chicago and New York are in USA, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while New York experiences humid subtropical conditions.
Density Gap
New York is 2.4x more densely populated
History
New York is ~209 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).
New York covers 783 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hamburg (755 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), Singapore (733 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to New York is 1,144 km (711 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 51m.
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