Dallas
997 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
United States
China
Area Comparison
Dallas is 6.4x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Dallas has 19.1x fewer people than Shanghai
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 6.4 times the area of Dallas. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Dallas covers 997 km² (385 mi²) — a difference of 5,344 km². You could fit Dallas inside Shanghai approximately 6 times.
To put Dallas's size in perspective, its area of 997 km² is about 1.1x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Dallas's footprint is roughly about 140,000 American football fields, 17 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
Dallas is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the state's northern region, it is the ninth-most populous city in the United States and third-most populous city in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million at the 2020 census. Along with the city of Fort Worth, Dallas anchors the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous metropolitan area in Texas, at 8.5 million people.
Known as "Big D", Dallas covers 997 km² with a population of 1.3 million. The city was established in 1841. Dallas is known for Dealey Plaza, Reunion Tower, Dallas Cowboys, among other attractions.
Dallas is the ninth-most populous U.S. city and the third-largest in Texas with 1.3 million residents.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Dallas has a population density of 1,304 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Shanghai is dramatically more crowded, with 3.0x the population density.
Size Ratio
Dallas fits inside Shanghai ~6 times
Density Gap
Shanghai is 3.0x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~550 years older
Dallas covers 997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), San Diego (964 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Berlin (892 km²), or Lagos (1,172 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Dallas to Shanghai is 11,840 km (7,357 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 26m.
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