Guangzhou
7,434 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
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).
In more relatable units, Guangzhou's 7,434 km² is about 1,000,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Manhattan, or 71 times the area of Paris. For San Francisco, that's about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
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
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Nicknamed "The City by the Bay", 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 ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
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
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).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to San Francisco is 11,091 km (6,891 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 33m.
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