Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Zurich
88 km²
South Africa
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 18.7x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 11.2x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, Johannesburg is 18.7x the size of Zurich. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 1,556 km². You could fit Zurich inside Johannesburg approximately 18 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
In more relatable units, Johannesburg's 1,644 km² is about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris. For Zurich, that's about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. It was founded around 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Johannesburg ~18 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 1.7x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~1,901 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Johannesburg to Zurich is 8,412 km (5,227 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 24m.
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