Guangzhou
7,434 km²
New York
783 km²
China
USA
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 9.5x larger than New York
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 2.2x more people than New York
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 9.5x the size of New York. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while New York covers 783 km² (302 mi²) — a difference of 6,651 km². You could fit New York inside Guangzhou approximately 9 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, New York at 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin.
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. New York works out to about 110,000 American football fields, 13 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
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area.
Often called "New York City", New York has an area of 783 km² and is home to 8.3 million people. The city dates back to 1624. Visitors come for Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and much more. Getting around is easy with the NYC Subway.
New York City sits on one of the world's largest natural harbors, which shaped its rise as America's commercial gateway.
Looking beyond city limits, the New York metropolitan area covers 17,405 km², which is 2.3x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The New York metro area is also more populous, with 20.1 million people compared to 18.7 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. New York, with 10,651 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. New York is dramatically more crowded, with 4.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus New York in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's midnight in New York — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
New York fits inside Guangzhou ~9 times
Density Gap
New York is 4.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,838 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).
New York covers 783 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hamburg (755 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), Singapore (733 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to New York is 12,876 km (8,001 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 39m.
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