City Map Compare/Edinburgh vs Sydney
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Edinburgh

259 km²

Sydney

12,368 km²

Edinburgh vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Edinburgh vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Edinburgh

United Kingdom

Area259 km²
Population0.49M
Density1,892 /km²
Elevation47 m
Founded601
Sydney

Australia

Area12,368 km²
Population5.31M
Density429 /km²
Elevation58 m
Metro Pop.5.3M
Founded1788
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Edinburgh is 47.8x smaller than Sydney

Population Comparison

Edinburgh has 10.8x fewer people than Sydney

Is Edinburgh Bigger Than Sydney?

Yes — Sydney is 47.8x larger than Edinburgh by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Edinburgh covers 259 km² (100 mi²) — a difference of 12,109 km². You could fit Edinburgh inside Sydney approximately 47 times.

To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.

Picture Edinburgh another way: its area is large enough to fit about 36,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 76 times the area of Central Park. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.

About Edinburgh

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.

About Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.

Nicknamed "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. The city dates back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.

Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.

Population Density

Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Edinburgh is dramatically more crowded, with 4.4x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Edinburgh fits inside Sydney ~47 times

Density Gap

Edinburgh is 4.4x more densely populated

History

Edinburgh is ~1,187 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Edinburgh

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Sydney

Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Edinburgh or Sydney?
Sydney is 47.8 times larger than Edinburgh by area. Sydney covers 12,368 km² while Edinburgh spans 259 km², a difference of 12,109 km².
How many times does Edinburgh fit inside Sydney?
Edinburgh (259 km²) fits inside Sydney (12,368 km²) approximately 47 times. That means Sydney is 47.8x the area of Edinburgh.
What is the population difference between Edinburgh and Sydney?
Sydney has approximately 5.3 million people, while Edinburgh has about 0.5 million. Sydney has 4.8 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Edinburgh or Sydney?
Edinburgh is more densely populated with 1,892 people per km², compared to 429 people per km².
Which city is older, Edinburgh or Sydney?
Edinburgh is older, founded around 601, while Sydney was established around 1788 — a difference of about 1187 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Edinburgh and Sydney

The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Sydney is 16,875 km (10,486 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 21m.

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