Houston
1,725 km²
Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
United States
Brazil
Area Comparison
Houston is 1.4x larger than Rio de Janeiro
Population Comparison
Houston has 2.9x fewer people than Rio de Janeiro
Yes — Houston is 1.4x larger than Rio de Janeiro by area. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² (471 mi²) — a difference of 504 km².
To put Houston's size in perspective, its area of 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro at 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London.
Picture Houston another way: its area is large enough to fit about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. For Rio de Janeiro, that's about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 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.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Also known as "Cidade Maravilhosa", Rio de Janeiro has an area of 1,221 km² and is home to 6.8 million people. Its history stretches back to 1565. Visitors come for Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Houston has a population density of 1,333 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Rio de Janeiro, with 5,528 people per km², is a densely populated city. Rio de Janeiro is dramatically more crowded, with 4.1x the population density.
Density Gap
Rio de Janeiro is 4.1x more densely populated
History
Rio de Janeiro is ~271 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).
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Houston to Rio de Janeiro is 8,086 km (5,025 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 1m.
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