Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
China
Kenya
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 10.7x larger than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 3.9x more people than Nairobi
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 10.7x the size of Nairobi. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 6,738 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Guangzhou approximately 10 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
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. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Nicknamed "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. It was established in 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 10.7x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Guangzhou metro area is also more populous, with 18.7 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus Nairobi in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions. Summers are notably different: Guangzhou averages 29°C compared to 20°C in Nairobi. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's 7:00 AM in Nairobi — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Guangzhou ~10 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 2.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~2,113 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).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Nairobi is 8,681 km (5,394 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 43m.
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