Edinburgh
259 km²
Oslo
454 km²
United Kingdom
Norway
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 1.8x smaller than Oslo
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 1.5x fewer people than Oslo
Yes — Oslo is 1.8x larger than Edinburgh by area. Oslo spans 454 km² (175 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 195 km².
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Oslo at 454 km² is about 1.3x smaller than Seoul.
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. Oslo works out to about 64,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 724,290 in 2025, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,110,887 in 2025, and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021.
Nicknamed "Tigerstaden", Oslo has an area of 454 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1048. Visitors come for Vigeland Park, Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress, and much more.
Oslo is both a county and a municipality, with the city itself home to about 724,000 residents in 2025.
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Oslo, with 1,586 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Edinburgh is slightly more compact.
History
Edinburgh is ~447 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).
Oslo covers 454 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Vienna (415 km²), Montreal (498 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Warsaw (517 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Oslo is 930 km (578 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 36m.
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