Hanoi
3,359 km²
Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Vietnam
Vietnam
Area Comparison
Hanoi is 1.6x larger than Ho Chi Minh City
Population Comparison
Hanoi has 1.1x fewer people than Ho Chi Minh City
Yes — Hanoi is 1.6x larger than Ho Chi Minh City by area. Hanoi spans 3,359 km² (1,297 mi²) while Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² (796 mi²) — a difference of 1,298 km².
To put Hanoi's size in perspective, its area of 3,359 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture Hanoi another way: its area is large enough to fit about 470,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Manhattan, or 32 times the area of Paris. For Ho Chi Minh City, that's about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris.
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous municipality of Vietnam. It encompasses an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 mi2), and as of 2025 has a population of 8,807,523. Hanoi had the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities at US$48 billion in 2023, behind Ho Chi Minh City. It hosts 78 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), its Vietnam National University system, and other governmental organizations.
Known as "City Between Rivers", Hanoi covers 3,359 km² with a population of 8.1 million. The city was established in 1010. Hanoi is known for Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Temple of Literature, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Hanoi Metro.
Hanoi encompasses 3,358.6 square kilometers and had a population of nearly 8.8 million as of 2025.
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the most populous municipality of Vietnam, with a population of more than 14 million in 2025. Its geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigon River. As the largest financial centre in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the largest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Also known as "Saigon", Ho Chi Minh City has an area of 2,061 km² and is home to 9.0 million people. Its history stretches back to 1698. Visitors come for Independence Palace, Bitexco Financial Tower, War Remnants Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the HCMC Metro (opening 2024).
Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest financial center and contributes around a quarter of the country's total GDP.
Looking beyond city limits, the Hanoi metropolitan area covers 3,359 km², which is 1.6x larger than greater Ho Chi Minh City at 2,061 km². The Ho Chi Minh City metro area is also more populous, with 9.0 million people compared to 8.1 million.
Hanoi has a population density of 2,397 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Ho Chi Minh City, with 4,362 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Ho Chi Minh City is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are in Vietnam, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Hanoi has a humid subtropical climate while Ho Chi Minh City experiences tropical savanna conditions.
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 1.8x more densely populated
History
Hanoi is ~688 years older
Hanoi covers 3,359 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Karachi (3,527 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).
Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Cape Town (2,455 km²), or Houston (1,725 km²).
The straight-line distance from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is 1,138 km (707 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 50m.
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