Guangzhou
7,434 km²
Seoul
605 km²
China
South Korea
Area Comparison
Guangzhou is 12.3x larger than Seoul
Population Comparison
Guangzhou has 1.9x more people than Seoul
Guangzhou is significantly larger, covering 12.3 times the area of Seoul. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Seoul covers 605 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 6,829 km². You could fit Seoul inside Guangzhou approximately 12 times.
To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
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. Seoul, by comparison, equals about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 1.6x larger than greater Guangzhou at 7,434 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 18.7 million.
Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 6.4x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Guangzhou (China) and Seoul (South Korea) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Guangzhou stays around 14°C while Seoul drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Seoul fits inside Guangzhou ~12 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 6.4x more densely populated
History
Guangzhou is ~196 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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Seoul is 2,071 km (1,287 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 56m.
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