City Map Compare/Guangzhou vs Vancouver
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5 km
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Guangzhou

7,434 km²

Vancouver

115 km²

Guangzhou vs Vancouver - City Size Comparison

Guangzhou vs Vancouver - City Size Comparison

Guangzhou

China

Area7,434 km²
Population18.68M
Density2,513 /km²
Elevation21 m
Metro Pop.18.7M
Founded214 BC
Climatehumid subtropical
Vancouver

Canada

Area115 km²
Population0.66M
Density5,739 /km²
Elevation2 m
Founded1886
ClimateMarine west coast climate

Area Comparison

Guangzhou is 64.6x larger than Vancouver

Population Comparison

Guangzhou has 28.3x more people than Vancouver

Is Guangzhou Bigger Than Vancouver?

Guangzhou is significantly larger, covering 64.6 times the area of Vancouver. Guangzhou spans 7,434 km² (2,870 mi²) while Vancouver covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 7,319 km². You could fit Vancouver inside Guangzhou approximately 64 times.

To put Guangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 7,434 km² is about 1.2x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Vancouver at 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco.

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. Vancouver, by comparison, equals about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 times the area of Central Park.

About Guangzhou

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

About Vancouver

Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million.

Also known as "Hollywood North", Vancouver has an area of 115 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1886. Visitors come for Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and much more.

Vancouver grew from 631,486 residents in 2016 to 662,248 by the 2021 census, leading all of British Columbia.

Population Density

Guangzhou has a population density of 2,513 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Vancouver, with 5,739 people per km², is a densely populated city. Vancouver is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.

Climate & Time Zone

Guangzhou has a humid subtropical climate while Vancouver experiences Marine west coast climate conditions.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Vancouver fits inside Guangzhou ~64 times

Density Gap

Vancouver is 2.3x more densely populated

History

Guangzhou is ~2,100 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Guangzhou

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Vancouver

Vancouver covers 115 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Francisco (121 km²), Paris (105 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), or Miami (143 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Guangzhou actually bigger than Vancouver?
Guangzhou is 64.6 times larger than Vancouver by area. Guangzhou covers 7,434 km² while Vancouver spans 115 km², a difference of 7,319 km².
How many times does Vancouver fit inside Guangzhou?
Vancouver (115 km²) fits inside Guangzhou (7,434 km²) approximately 64 times. That means Guangzhou is 64.6x the area of Vancouver.
What is the population difference between Guangzhou and Vancouver?
Guangzhou has approximately 18.7 million people, while Vancouver has about 0.7 million. Guangzhou has 18.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Guangzhou or Vancouver?
Vancouver is more densely populated with 5,739 people per km², compared to 2,513 people per km².
Which city is older, Guangzhou or Vancouver?
Guangzhou is older, founded around -214, while Vancouver was established around 1886 — a difference of about 2100 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Guangzhou and Vancouver

The straight-line distance from Guangzhou to Vancouver is 10,229 km (6,356 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 32m.

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