Houston
1,725 km²
Madrid
604 km²
United States
Spain
Area Comparison
Houston is 2.9x larger than Madrid
Population Comparison
Houston has 1.4x fewer people than Madrid
In terms of area, Houston is 2.9x the size of Madrid. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Madrid covers 604 km² (233 mi²) — a difference of 1,121 km². You could fit Madrid inside Houston approximately 2 times.
To put Houston's size in perspective, its area of 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Madrid at 604 km² is roughly the same size as Seoul.
Houston's footprint is roughly about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Madrid, by comparison, equals about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan area in the nation and second-most populous in Texas. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, Houston is the county seat of Harris County.
Known as "Space City", Houston covers 1,725 km² with a population of 2.3 million. The city was established in 1836. Houston is known for NASA Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston, Houston Astros, among other attractions.
Houston is the fourth-most populous US city with 2.3 million residents at the 2020 census, leading the entire South.
Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It had a population of over 3.4 million in the city proper in 2025, and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.8 million. Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), after Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the second-largest in the EU, after Paris. The municipality covers an area of 605.77 square kilometres (233.89 sq mi).
Often called "La Villa y Corte", Madrid has an area of 604 km² and is home to 3.3 million people. It was established in 852. Visitors come for Royal Palace of Madrid, Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Madrid Metro.
Madrid is the second-largest city in the European Union after Berlin, with over 3.4 million residents in the city proper
Houston has a population density of 1,333 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Madrid, with 5,513 people per km², is a densely populated city. Madrid is dramatically more crowded, with 4.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Madrid fits inside Houston ~2 times
Density Gap
Madrid is 4.1x more densely populated
History
Madrid is ~984 years older
Houston covers 1,725 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Riyadh (1,798 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bangkok (1,569 km²).
Madrid covers 604 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seoul (605 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Chicago (606 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Houston to Madrid is 8,049 km (5,001 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 58m.
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