City Map Compare/Hamburg vs San Francisco
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5 km
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Hamburg

755 km²

San Francisco

121 km²

Hamburg vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Hamburg vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Hamburg

Germany

Area755 km²
Population1.91M
Density2,530 /km²
Elevation6 m
San Francisco

USA

Area121 km²
Population0.87M
Density7,190 /km²
Elevation16 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1776
ClimateMediterranean

Area Comparison

Hamburg is 6.2x larger than San Francisco

Population Comparison

Hamburg has 2.2x more people than San Francisco

Is Hamburg Bigger Than San Francisco?

Yes — Hamburg is 6.2x larger than San Francisco by area. Hamburg spans 755 km² (292 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 634 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Hamburg approximately 6 times.

To put Hamburg's size in perspective, its area of 755 km² is roughly the same size as New York City. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).

Picture Hamburg another way: its area is large enough to fit about 106,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris. San Francisco, by comparison, equals about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.

About Hamburg

Hamburg, officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and seventh-largest city in the European Union, with a population of over 1.9 million. The Hamburg Metropolitan Region has a population of over 5.1 million and is the tenth-largest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union.

Known as "Gateway to the World", Hamburg covers 755 km² with a population of 1.9 million. Hamburg is known for Port of Hamburg, Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Reeperbahn nightlife district, among other attractions.

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the seventh-largest in the European Union.

About San Francisco

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.

Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 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.

Population Density

Hamburg has a population density of 2,530 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 2.8 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

San Francisco fits inside Hamburg ~6 times

Density Gap

San Francisco is 2.8x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Hamburg

Hamburg covers 755 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bangalore (741 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Tehran (730 km²), New York (783 km²), or Nairobi (696 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to San Francisco

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).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hamburg actually bigger than San Francisco?
Hamburg is 6.2 times larger than San Francisco by area. Hamburg covers 755 km² while San Francisco spans 121 km², a difference of 634 km².
How many times does San Francisco fit inside Hamburg?
San Francisco (121 km²) fits inside Hamburg (755 km²) approximately 6 times. That means Hamburg is 6.2x the area of San Francisco.
What is the population difference between Hamburg and San Francisco?
Hamburg has approximately 1.9 million people, while San Francisco has about 0.9 million. Hamburg has 1.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Hamburg or San Francisco?
San Francisco is more densely populated with 7,190 people per km², compared to 2,530 people per km².
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 Hamburg and San Francisco

The straight-line distance from Hamburg to San Francisco is 8,881 km (5,518 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 57m.

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