Chicago
606 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
USA
USA
Area Comparison
Chicago is 5.0x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Chicago has 3.1x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Chicago is 5.0x larger than San Francisco by area. Chicago spans 606 km² (234 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 485 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Chicago approximately 5 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
In more relatable units, Chicago's 606 km² is about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan. San Francisco, by comparison, equals about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 4.0x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Chicago metro area is also more populous, with 9.5 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 1.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Both Chicago and San Francisco 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 San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Chicago, it's 10:00 AM in San Francisco — a 2-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Chicago ~5 times
Density Gap
San Francisco is 1.6x 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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to San Francisco is 2,985 km (1,855 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 1m.
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