Ho Chi Minh City
2,061 km²
Phoenix
1,341 km²
Vietnam
United States
Area Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City is 1.5x larger than Phoenix
Population Comparison
Ho Chi Minh City has 5.6x more people than Phoenix
Yes — Ho Chi Minh City is 1.5x larger than Phoenix by area. Ho Chi Minh City spans 2,061 km² (796 mi²) while Phoenix covers 1,341 km² (518 mi²) — a difference of 720 km².
To put Ho Chi Minh City's size in perspective, its area of 2,061 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Phoenix at 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London.
Ho Chi Minh City's footprint is roughly about 289,000 American football fields, 35 times the area of Manhattan, or 20 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Phoenix works out to about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 times the area of Paris.
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.
Known as "Saigon", Ho Chi Minh City covers 2,061 km² with a population of 9.0 million. The city was established in 1698. Ho Chi Minh City is known for Independence Palace, Bitexco Financial Tower, War Remnants Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.
Often called "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix has an area of 1,341 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. It was established in 1868. Visitors come for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, and much more.
Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population density of 4,362 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Phoenix, with 1,201 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Ho Chi Minh City is dramatically more crowded, with 3.6x the population density.
Density Gap
Ho Chi Minh City is 3.6x more densely populated
History
Ho Chi Minh City is ~170 years older
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).
Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Phoenix is 13,612 km (8,458 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 31m.
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