Houston
1,725 km²
Washington D.C.
177 km²
United States
USA
Area Comparison
Houston is 9.7x larger than Washington D.C.
Population Comparison
Houston has 3.3x more people than Washington D.C.
Houston is significantly larger, covering 9.7 times the area of Washington D.C.. Houston spans 1,725 km² (666 mi²) while Washington D.C. covers 177 km² (68 mi²) — a difference of 1,548 km². You could fit Washington D.C. inside Houston approximately 9 times.
To put Houston's size in perspective, its area of 1,725 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. at 177 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
In more relatable units, Houston's 1,725 km² is about 242,000 American football fields, 29 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. For Washington D.C., that's about 25,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Monaco, or 52 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.
Nicknamed "D.C.", Washington D.C. has an area of 177 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1790. Visitors come for White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Washington Metro.
Washington D.C. sits on the Potomac River across from Virginia and is bordered by Maryland to its north and east
Houston has a population density of 1,333 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Washington D.C., with 3,898 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Washington D.C. is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Washington D.C. fits inside Houston ~9 times
Density Gap
Washington D.C. is 2.9x 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).
Washington D.C. covers 177 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Stockholm (188 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Minneapolis (149 km²), or Helsinki (214 km²).
The straight-line distance from Houston to Washington D.C. is 1,961 km (1,218 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 48m.
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