Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Seattle
369 km²
South Africa
United States
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 4.5x larger than Seattle
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 6.5x more people than Seattle
Yes — Johannesburg is 4.5x larger than Seattle by area. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Seattle covers 369 km² (142 mi²) — a difference of 1,275 km². You could fit Seattle inside Johannesburg approximately 4 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Seattle at 369 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul.
Johannesburg's footprint is roughly about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Seattle, by comparison, equals about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 780,995 in 2024, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington.
Also known as "The Emerald City", Seattle has an area of 369 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 1851. Visitors come for Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Starbucks headquarters, and much more.
Seattle is Washington's most populous city with 780,995 residents in 2024, anchoring the Pacific Northwest.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seattle, with 2,005 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Johannesburg is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Seattle fits inside Johannesburg ~4 times
Density Gap
Johannesburg is 1.5x more densely populated
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).
Seattle covers 369 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Philadelphia (370 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Seattle is 16,504 km (10,255 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 55m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.