Istanbul
5,461 km²
Kyoto
828 km²
Turkey
Japan
Area Comparison
Istanbul is 6.6x larger than Kyoto
Population Comparison
Istanbul has 10.6x more people than Kyoto
Yes — Istanbul is 6.6x larger than Kyoto by area. Istanbul spans 5,461 km² (2,109 mi²) while Kyoto covers 828 km² (320 mi²) — a difference of 4,633 km². You could fit Kyoto inside Istanbul approximately 6 times.
To put Istanbul's size in perspective, its area of 5,461 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Shanghai. Meanwhile, Kyoto at 828 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
In more relatable units, Istanbul's 5,461 km² is about 765,000 American football fields, 92 times the area of Manhattan, or 52 times the area of Paris. Kyoto works out to about 116,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. With a population of over 15 million, it is home to 18% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is among the largest cities in Europe and in the world by population. It is a city on two continents; about two-thirds of its population live in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Known as "City on Two Continents", Istanbul covers 5,461 km² with a population of 15.5 million. The city was founded around 660 BC. Istanbul is known for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Istanbul Metro.
Istanbul is one of the only major cities to span two continents, with about two-thirds of its population living in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Kyoto, officially Kyoto City , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people.
Nicknamed "Thousand-Year Capital", Kyoto has an area of 828 km² and is home to 1.5 million people. The city dates back to 794. Visitors come for Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Gion geisha district, and much more.
More than half of Kyoto Prefecture's entire population lives within Kyoto City itself.
Istanbul has a population density of 2,831 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Kyoto, with 1,763 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Istanbul is noticeably denser, packing 1.6 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Kyoto fits inside Istanbul ~6 times
Density Gap
Istanbul is 1.6x more densely populated
History
Istanbul is ~1,454 years older
Istanbul covers 5,461 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shanghai (6,341 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Karachi (3,527 km²).
Kyoto covers 828 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), New York (783 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), or Bangalore (741 km²).
The straight-line distance from Istanbul to Kyoto is 8,738 km (5,430 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 47m.
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