Chicago
606 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
USA
Brazil
Area Comparison
Chicago is 2.0x smaller than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Chicago has 2.5x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
In terms of area, Rio de Janeiro is 2.0x the size of Chicago. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 615 km². You could fit Chicago inside Rio de Janeiro approximately 2 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than 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. Rio de Janeiro works out to about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Often called "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. The city dates back to 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 4.2x larger than greater Rio de Janeiro at 6,744 km². The Rio de Janeiro metro area is also more populous, with 13.5 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Rio de Janeiro is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus Rio de Janeiro in South America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while Rio de Janeiro experiences tropical savanna conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Rio de Janeiro stays around 21°C while Chicago drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Rio de Janeiro, it's 9:00 AM in Chicago — a 3-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Rio de Janeiro ~2 times
Time Difference
3 hours apart
History
Rio de Janeiro is ~268 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).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Rio de Janeiro is 8,531 km (5,301 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 32m.
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