City Map Compare/Chicago vs San Antonio
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Chicago

606 km²

San Antonio

1,209 km²

Chicago vs San Antonio - City Size Comparison

Chicago vs San Antonio - City Size Comparison

Chicago

USA

Area606 km²
Population2.70M
Density4,455 /km²
Elevation176 m
Metro Pop.9.5M
Founded1833
Climatehumid continental
San Antonio

United States

Area1,209 km²
Population1.43M
Density1,183 /km²
Elevation198 m
Founded1718

Area Comparison

Chicago is 2.0x smaller than San Antonio

Population Comparison

Chicago has 1.9x more people than San Antonio

Is Chicago Bigger Than San Antonio?

San Antonio is significantly larger, covering 2.0 times the area of Chicago. San Antonio spans 1,209 km² (467 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 603 km².

To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, San Antonio at 1,209 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. San Antonio, by comparison, equals about 169,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris.

About Chicago

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.

About San Antonio

San Antonio is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, the second-most populous city in Texas, and the second-most populous city in the Southern U.S., with a population of 1.43 million at the 2020 census. The Greater San Antonio metropolitan area, with an estimated 2.76 million residents, ranks as the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest in the nation. It is the county seat of Bexar County.

Also known as "Alamo City", San Antonio has an area of 1,209 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. The city dates back to 1718. Visitors come for The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, Tower of the Americas, and much more.

San Antonio is the seventh-most populous city in the United States and second-most populous in Texas, with 1.43 million residents.

Population Density

Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Antonio, with 1,183 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Chicago is dramatically more crowded, with 3.8x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Density Gap

Chicago is 3.8x more densely populated

History

San Antonio is ~115 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Chicago

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).

Cities Similar in Size to San Antonio

San Antonio covers 1,209 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chicago actually bigger than San Antonio?
San Antonio is 2.0 times larger than Chicago by area. San Antonio covers 1,209 km² while Chicago spans 606 km², a difference of 603 km².
How many times does Chicago fit inside San Antonio?
Chicago (606 km²) fits inside San Antonio (1,209 km²) approximately 1 times. That means San Antonio is 2.0x the area of Chicago.
What is the population difference between Chicago and San Antonio?
Chicago has approximately 2.7 million people, while San Antonio has about 1.4 million. Chicago has 1.3 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Chicago or San Antonio?
Chicago is more densely populated with 4,455 people per km², compared to 1,183 people per km².
Which city is older, Chicago or San Antonio?
San Antonio is older, founded around 1718, while Chicago was established around 1833 — a difference of about 115 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Chicago and San Antonio

The straight-line distance from Chicago to San Antonio is 1,694 km (1,053 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 30m.

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