Houston
1,725 km²
Moscow
2,511 km²
United States
Russia
Area Comparison
Houston is 1.5x smaller than Moscow
Population Comparison
Houston has 5.5x fewer people than Moscow
In terms of area, Moscow is 1.5x the size of Houston. Moscow spans 2,511 km² (970 mi²) while Houston covers 1,725 km² (666 mi²) — a difference of 786 km².
To put Houston's size in perspective, its area of 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Moscow at 2,511 km² is roughly the same size as Luxembourg.
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. Moscow, by comparison, equals about 352,000 American football fields, 42 times the area of Manhattan, or 24 times the area of Paris.
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.
Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 19.1 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area. The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 mi2), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 mi2), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 mi2).
Often called "Third Rome", Moscow has an area of 2,511 km² and is home to 12.5 million people. It was established in 1147. Visitors come for Red Square, Kremlin, Saint Basil's Cathedral, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Moscow Metro.
Moscow's metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest metropolitan footprints in Europe.
Houston has a population density of 1,333 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Moscow, with 4,994 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Moscow is dramatically more crowded, with 3.7x the population density.
Density Gap
Moscow is 3.7x more densely populated
History
Moscow is ~689 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).
Moscow covers 2,511 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Cape Town (2,455 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), or Cairo (3,085 km²).
The straight-line distance from Houston to Moscow is 9,515 km (5,912 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 42m.
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