Edinburgh
259 km²
Houston
1,725 km²
United Kingdom
United States
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 6.7x smaller than Houston
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 4.7x fewer people than Houston
Yes — Houston is 6.7x larger than Edinburgh by area. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 1,466 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Houston approximately 6 times.
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Houston at 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London.
In more relatable units, Edinburgh's 259 km² is about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park. Houston works out to about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. It is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in 2020, making it the second-most-populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most-populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area had a population of 912,490 in the same year.
Known as "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh covers 259 km² with a population of 0.5 million. The city was established in 601. Edinburgh is known for Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, among other attractions.
Edinburgh is bounded by the Firth of Forth to the north and the Pentland Hills to the south.
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County.
Also known as "Space City", Houston has an area of 1,725 km² and is home to 2.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1836. Visitors come for NASA Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Astros, and much more.
Houston is the fourth-most populous US city with 2.3 million residents at the 2020 census, leading the entire South.
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Houston, with 1,333 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Edinburgh is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Edinburgh fits inside Houston ~6 times
Density Gap
Edinburgh is 1.4x more densely populated
History
Edinburgh is ~1,235 years older
Edinburgh covers 259 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Taipei (272 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Boston (232 km²), Osaka (225 km²), or Amsterdam (219 km²).
Houston covers 1,725 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Riyadh (1,798 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bangkok (1,569 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Houston is 7,436 km (4,620 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 15m.
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