Houston
1,725 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
United States
Kenya
Area Comparison
Houston is 2.5x larger than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Houston has 2.1x fewer people than Nairobi
Houston is significantly larger, covering 2.5 times the area of Nairobi. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 1,029 km². You could fit Nairobi 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, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
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. Nairobi, by comparison, equals about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Nicknamed "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. The city dates back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Houston has a population density of 1,333 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 5.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Houston ~2 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 5.1x more densely populated
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).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Houston to Nairobi is 14,060 km (8,736 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~17h 2m.
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