Hanoi
3,359 km²
Lagos
1,172 km²
Vietnam
Nigeria
Area Comparison
Hanoi is 2.9x larger than Lagos
Population Comparison
Hanoi has 1.9x fewer people than Lagos
Hanoi is significantly larger, covering 2.9 times the area of Lagos. Hanoi spans 3,359 km² (1,297 mi²) while Lagos covers 1,172 km² (453 mi²) — a difference of 2,187 km². You could fit Lagos inside Hanoi approximately 2 times.
To put Hanoi's size in perspective, its area of 3,359 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Lagos at 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin.
Hanoi's footprint is roughly about 470,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Manhattan, or 32 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Lagos works out to about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 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.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Nicknamed "Lasgidi", Lagos has an area of 1,172 km² and is home to 15.4 million people. The city dates back to 1472. Visitors come for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Looking beyond city limits, the Hanoi metropolitan area covers 3,359 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Lagos at 2,706 km². The Lagos metro area is also more populous, with 21.0 million people compared to 8.1 million.
Hanoi has a population density of 2,397 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Lagos, with 13,131 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 5.5x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Hanoi in Asia versus Lagos in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Hanoi has a humid subtropical climate while Lagos experiences tropical savanna conditions. When it's noon in Hanoi, it's 6:00 AM in Lagos — a 6-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Lagos fits inside Hanoi ~2 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 5.5x more densely populated
Time Difference
6 hours apart
History
Hanoi is ~462 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).
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
The straight-line distance from Hanoi to Lagos is 11,026 km (6,851 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 28m.
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