Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Madrid
604 km²
China
Spain
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 12.3x larger than Madrid
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 5.6x more people than Madrid
Yes — Guangzhou is 12.3x larger than Madrid by area. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Madrid covers 604 km² (233 mi²) — a difference of 6,830 km². You could fit Madrid inside Guangzhou approximately 12 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Madrid at 604 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Picture Guangzhou another way: its area is large enough to fit about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris. Madrid works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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
Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It had a population of over 3.4 million in the city proper in 2025, and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.8 million. Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), after Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU, after Paris. The municipality covers an area of 605.77 square kilometres (233.89 sq mi).
Often called "La Villa y Corte", Madrid has an area of 604 km² and is home to 3.3 million people. The city dates back to 852. Visitors come for Royal Palace of Madrid, Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Madrid Metro.
Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union after Berlin, with over 3.4 million residents in the city proper
Looking beyond city limits, the Madrid metropolitan area covers 8,028 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 6.8 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Madrid, with 5,513 people per km², is a densely populated city. Madrid is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Madrid in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Madrid experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 5:00 AM in Madrid — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Madrid fits inside Guangzhou ~12 times
Density Gap
Madrid is 2.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,066 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).
Madrid covers 604 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Chicago (606 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Madrid is 10,408 km (6,467 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 45m.
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