City Map Compare/Hangzhou vs Shenzhen
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Hangzhou

16,854 km²

Shenzhen

1,997 km²

Hangzhou vs Shenzhen - City Size Comparison

Hangzhou vs Shenzhen - City Size Comparison

Hangzhou

People's Republic of China

Area16,854 km²
Population11.94M
Density708 /km²
Elevation19 m
Shenzhen

China

Area1,997 km²
Population17.56M
Density8,793 /km²
Elevation35 m
Metro Pop.17.6M
Founded1979
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Hangzhou is 8.4x larger than Shenzhen

Population Comparison

Hangzhou has 1.5x fewer people than Shenzhen

Is Hangzhou Bigger Than Shenzhen?

Hangzhou is significantly larger, covering 8.4 times the area of Shenzhen. Hangzhou spans 16,854 km² (6,507 mi²) while Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² (771 mi²) — a difference of 14,857 km². You could fit Shenzhen inside Hangzhou approximately 8 times.

To put Hangzhou's size in perspective, its area of 16,854 km² is about 2.7x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).

Hangzhou's footprint is roughly about 2,400,000 American football fields, 160 times the area of Paris, or 140 times the area of San Francisco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.

About Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city and most populous city of Zhejiang province, China, situated at the intersection of the southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the head of Hangzhou Bay. Renowned as one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, Hangzhou is celebrated for its cultural heritage and its West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Known as "Paradise on Earth", Hangzhou covers 16,854 km² with a population of 11.9 million. Hangzhou is known for West Lake, Grand Canal terminus, Lingyin Temple, among other attractions.

Hangzhou's West Lake is a UNESCO World Heritage site, drawing visitors to its celebrated cultural landscape.

About Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.

Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. The city dates back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.

Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020

Population Density

Hangzhou has a population density of 708 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 12.4x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Shenzhen fits inside Hangzhou ~8 times

Density Gap

Shenzhen is 12.4x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Hangzhou

Hangzhou covers 16,854 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Beijing (16,411 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), Chengdu (14,378 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), or Xi'an (10,097 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Shenzhen

Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Hangzhou or Shenzhen?
Hangzhou is 8.4 times larger than Shenzhen by area. Hangzhou covers 16,854 km² while Shenzhen spans 1,997 km², a difference of 14,857 km².
How many times does Shenzhen fit inside Hangzhou?
Shenzhen (1,997 km²) fits inside Hangzhou (16,854 km²) approximately 8 times. That means Hangzhou is 8.4x the area of Shenzhen.
What is the population difference between Hangzhou and Shenzhen?
Shenzhen has approximately 17.6 million people, while Hangzhou has about 11.9 million. Shenzhen has 5.6 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Hangzhou or Shenzhen?
Shenzhen is more densely populated with 8,793 people per km², compared to 708 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 Hangzhou and Shenzhen

The straight-line distance from Hangzhou to Shenzhen is 1,051 km (653 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 44m.

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