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China
USA
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 61.4x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 21.5x more people than San Francisco
In terms of area, Guangzhou is 61.4x the size of San Francisco. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 7,313 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Guangzhou approximately 61 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
A major port city and trade hub in southern China. 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, Cantonese cuisine (dim sum), Canton Fair, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Guangzhou Metro.
Guangzhou has been a major trading port for over 2,000 years and was a key stop on the Maritime Silk Road
A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Nicknamed "SF", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. Its history stretches back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area
Looking beyond city limits, the Guangzhou metropolitan area covers 7,434 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 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. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Guangzhou in Asia versus San Francisco 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 San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. Summers are notably different: Guangzhou averages 29°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Guangzhou, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 16-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Guangzhou ~61 times
Density Gap
San Francisco is 2.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
16 hours apart
History
Guangzhou is ~1,990 years older
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to San Francisco is 11,091 km (6,891 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 33m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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