Guangzhou
7,434 km²
London
1,572 km²
China
UK
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 4.7x larger than London
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 2.1x more people than London
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 4.7x the size of London. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while London covers 1,572 km² (607 mi²) — a difference of 5,862 km². You could fit London inside Guangzhou approximately 4 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, London at 1,572 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Tokyo (city proper).
Guangzhou's footprint is roughly about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For London, that's about 220,000 American football fields, 27 times the area of Manhattan, or 15 times the area of Paris.
Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Hong Kong and 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road.
Known as "Canton", Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² with a population of 18.7 million. The city was founded around 214 BC. Guangzhou is known for Canton Tower, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou boasts a history of over 2,200 years and served as a major terminus of the ancient Silk Road
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years.
Also known as "The Big Smoke", London has an area of 1,572 km² and is home to 9.0 million people. It was established in 43. Visitors come for Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the London Underground.
London has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years, tracing its roots back to Roman times around 47 AD.
Looking beyond city limits, the London metropolitan area covers 8,382 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 14.3 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. London, with 5,712 people per km², is a densely populated city. London is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus London in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while London experiences oceanic conditions. Summers are notably different: Guangzhou averages 29°C compared to 19°C in London. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 4:00 AM in London — a 8-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
London fits inside Guangzhou ~4 times
Density Gap
London is 2.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
8 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~257 years older
Guangzhou covers 7,434 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Wuhan (8,569 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Shanghai (6,341 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).
London covers 1,572 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bangkok (1,569 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to London is 9,496 km (5,901 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 40m.
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