Johannesburg
1,644 km²
San Diego
964 km²
South Africa
United States
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 1.7x larger than San Diego
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 3.5x more people than San Diego
Yes — Johannesburg is 1.7x larger than San Diego by area. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while San Diego covers 964 km² (372 mi²) — a difference of 680 km².
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.
Picture Johannesburg another way: its area is large enough to fit about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. For San Diego, that's about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Known as "Jozi", Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² with a population of 4.8 million. The city was established in 1886. Johannesburg is known for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, among other attractions.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.
Nicknamed "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.
San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Johannesburg is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Johannesburg is 2.0x more densely populated
History
San Diego is ~117 years older
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 km²).
San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to San Diego is 16,586 km (10,306 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~20h 1m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.