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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).
Third-largest city in the United States. 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 Deep-dish pizza, Willis Tower, Millennium Park & Cloud Gate, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the CTA (L train).
Chicago reversed the flow of the Chicago River in 1900, an engineering feat that still stands
A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Also known as "SF", 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's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area
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
The straight-line distance from Chicago to San Francisco is 2,985 km (1,855 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 1m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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