Edinburgh
259 km²
Seoul
605 km²
United Kingdom
South Korea
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 2.3x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 19.9x fewer people than Seoul
Seoul is significantly larger, covering 2.3 times the area of Edinburgh. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 346 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Seoul approximately 2 times.
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. For Seoul, that's about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 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.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. It was founded around 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 8.5x the population density.
Size Ratio
Edinburgh fits inside Seoul ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 8.5x more densely populated
History
Seoul is ~619 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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Seoul is 8,601 km (5,345 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 37m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.