Edinburgh
259 km²
Zurich
88 km²
United Kingdom
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Edinburgh is 2.9x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Edinburgh has 1.1x more people than Zurich
Edinburgh is significantly larger, covering 2.9 times the area of Zurich. Edinburgh spans 259 km² (100 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 171 km². You could fit Zurich inside Edinburgh approximately 2 times.
To put Edinburgh's size in perspective, its area of 259 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
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. Zurich, by comparison, equals about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Edinburgh has a population density of 1,892 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is noticeably denser, packing 2.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Edinburgh ~2 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 2.6x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~616 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Edinburgh to Zurich is 1,247 km (775 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 58m.
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