Chicago
606 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
Chicago is 3.3x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Chicago has 6.5x fewer people than Shenzhen
Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 3.3 times the area of Chicago. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,391 km². You could fit Chicago inside Shenzhen approximately 3 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
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. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Nicknamed "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 14.1x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Shenzhen stays around 15°C while Chicago drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's midnight in Chicago — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Shenzhen ~3 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 2.0x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Chicago is ~146 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).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Shenzhen is 12,512 km (7,775 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 13m.
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