Chicago
606 km²
Tehran
730 km²
USA
Iran
Area Comparison
Chicago is 1.2x smaller than Tehran
Population Comparison
Chicago has 3.4x fewer people than Tehran
Tehran is significantly larger, covering 1.2 times the area of Chicago. Tehran spans 730 km² (282 mi²) while Chicago covers 606 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 124 km².
To put Chicago's size in perspective, its area of 606 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
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. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. It was established in 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Chicago metropolitan area covers 28,160 km², which is 12.6x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Tehran metro area is also more populous, with 16.0 million people compared to 9.5 million.
Chicago has a population density of 4,455 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is noticeably denser, packing 2.8 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Chicago in North America versus Tehran in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Chicago has a humid continental climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Tehran, it's 2.5:00 AM in Chicago — a 9.5-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Tehran is 2.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
9.5 hours apart
History
Tehran is ~309 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).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Tehran is 10,435 km (6,484 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 47m.
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