Chicago
606 km²
São Paulo
1,521 km²
USA
Brazil
Area Comparison
Chicago is 2.5x smaller than São Paulo
Population Comparison
Chicago has 4.6x fewer people than São Paulo
In terms of area, São Paulo is 2.5x the size of Chicago. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 915 km². You could fit Chicago inside São Paulo approximately 2 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as 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. São Paulo works out to about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 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.
São Paulo is the capital city of the state of the same name, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The city exerts international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, having been listed by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy", and by the Globalization and World Cities Research…
Often called "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. It was established in 1554. Visitors come for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.
São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 3.5x larger than greater São Paulo at 7,947 km². The São Paulo metro area is also more populous, with 22.0 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. São Paulo is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus São Paulo 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 São Paulo experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: São Paulo stays around 17°C while Chicago drops to -3°C. When it's noon in São Paulo, it's 9:00 AM in Chicago — a 3-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside São Paulo ~2 times
Density Gap
São Paulo is 1.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
3 hours apart
History
São Paulo is ~279 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).
São Paulo covers 1,521 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to São Paulo is 8,408 km (5,225 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 24m.
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