Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Vancouver
115 km²
South Africa
Canada
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 14.3x larger than Vancouver
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 7.3x more people than Vancouver
Johannesburg is significantly larger, covering 14.3 times the area of Vancouver. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Vancouver covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 1,529 km². You could fit Vancouver inside Johannesburg approximately 14 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Vancouver at 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco.
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 Vancouver, that's about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 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.
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million.
Nicknamed "Hollywood North", Vancouver has an area of 115 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1886. Visitors come for Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and much more.
Vancouver grew from 631,486 residents in 2016 to 662,248 by the 2021 census, leading all of British Columbia.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Vancouver, with 5,739 people per km², is a densely populated city. Vancouver is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Vancouver fits inside Johannesburg ~14 times
Density Gap
Vancouver is 2.0x 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).
Vancouver covers 115 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Francisco (121 km²), Paris (105 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), or Miami (143 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Vancouver is 16,450 km (10,222 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 51m.
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