How Big Is Shenzhen?
China · Asia
Area
1,997 km²
771 mi²
Population
17.6M
Metro: 17.6M
Density
8,793/km²
Founded
1979
Shenzhen Size Overview
Shenzhen covers an area of 1,997 km² (771 mi²) in China, Asia. City in Guangdong, China. The city is often called "China's Silicon Valley". To put this in perspective, Shenzhen is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). In more relatable units, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
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.
With a population of 17.6 million (17.6 million in the metropolitan area), Shenzhen has a population density of 8,793 people per km².
Shenzhen has a history stretching back to 1979. The city is renowned for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and Huaqiangbei Electronics Market.
Shenzhen has a humid subtropical climate, with summer temperatures averaging 29°C and winters around 15°C. The city's main public transit system is the Shenzhen Metro.
Did You Know?
- Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
- Designated a special economic zone, Shenzhen sits on the Pearl River estuary directly bordering Hong Kong to the south
Compare Shenzhen with Other Cities
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Cities Similar in Size to Shenzhen
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).