Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Mexico City
1,485 km²
China
Mexico
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 5.0x larger than Mexico City
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 2.0x more people than Mexico City
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 5.0x the size of Mexico City. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Mexico City covers 1,485 km² (573 mi²) — a difference of 5,949 km². You could fit Mexico City inside Guangzhou approximately 5 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Mexico City at 1,485 km² is roughly the same size as London.
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. Mexico City works out to about 208,000 American football fields, 25 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 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
Mexico City is the capital and most populous city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and financial centers in the world, and is classified as an Alpha world city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) 2024 ranking. Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico within the high Mexican central plateau, at an altitude of 2,240 meters.
Nicknamed "CDMX", Mexico City has an area of 1,485 km² and is home to 9.2 million people. Its history stretches back to 1325. Visitors come for Zocalo square, Chapultepec Park, Frida Kahlo Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Mexico City Metro.
Mexico City sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters in the Valley of Mexico on the high Mexican central plateau.
Looking beyond city limits, the Mexico City metropolitan area covers 7,854 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Mexico City metro area is also more populous, with 21.8 million people compared to 18.7 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Mexico City, with 6,202 people per km², is a densely populated city. Mexico City is noticeably denser, packing 2.5 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Mexico City in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Mexico City experiences subtropical highland conditions. Summers are notably different: Guangzhou averages 29°C compared to 18°C in Mexico City. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's midnight in Mexico City — a 14-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Mexico City fits inside Guangzhou ~5 times
Density Gap
Mexico City is 2.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
14 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,539 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).
Mexico City covers 1,485 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Delhi (1,484 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Mexico City is 14,120 km (8,774 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~17h 7m.
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