Edinburgh
259 km²
Washington D.C.
177 km²
United Kingdom
USA
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 1.5x larger than Washington D.C.
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 1.4x fewer people than Washington D.C.
Yes — Edinburgh is 1.5x larger than Washington D.C. by area. Edinburgh spans 259 km² (100 mi²) while Washington D.C. covers 177 km² (68 mi²) — a difference of 82 km².
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. at 177 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
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. For Washington D.C., that's about 25,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Monaco, or 52 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.
Often called "D.C.", Washington D.C. has an area of 177 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1790. Visitors come for White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Washington Metro.
Washington D.C. sits on the Potomac River across from Virginia and is bordered by Maryland to its north and east
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Washington D.C., with 3,898 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Washington D.C. is noticeably denser, packing 2.1 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Washington D.C. is 2.1x more densely populated
History
Edinburgh is ~1,189 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).
Washington D.C. covers 177 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Stockholm (188 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Minneapolis (149 km²), or Helsinki (214 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Washington D.C. is 5,570 km (3,461 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 3m.
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