Chicago
606 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
USA
Australia
Area Comparison
Chicago is 20.4x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Chicago has 2.0x fewer people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 20.4x the size of Chicago. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 11,762 km². You could fit Chicago inside Sydney approximately 20 times.
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Chicago another way: its area is large enough to fit about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan. For Sydney, that's about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Also known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 2.3x larger than greater Sydney at 12,368 km². The Chicago metro area is also more populous, with 9.5 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Chicago is dramatically more crowded, with 10.4x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Sydney stays around 13°C while Chicago drops to -3°C. When it's noon in Sydney, it's midnight in Chicago — a 16-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Chicago fits inside Sydney ~20 times
Density Gap
Chicago is 10.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
16 hours apart
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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Sydney is 14,876 km (9,243 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h.
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