City Map Compare/Karachi vs San Francisco
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5 km
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Karachi

3,527 km²

San Francisco

121 km²

Karachi vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Karachi vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

Karachi

Pakistan

Area3,527 km²
Population14.91M
Density4,227 /km²
Elevation8 m
Founded1729
San Francisco

USA

Area121 km²
Population0.87M
Density7,190 /km²
Elevation16 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1776
ClimateMediterranean

Area Comparison

Karachi is 29.1x larger than San Francisco

Population Comparison

Karachi has 17.1x more people than San Francisco

Is Karachi Bigger Than San Francisco?

Karachi is significantly larger, covering 29.1 times the area of San Francisco. Karachi spans 3,527 km² (1,362 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 3,406 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Karachi approximately 29 times.

To put Karachi's size in perspective, its area of 3,527 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).

Karachi's footprint is roughly about 494,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Manhattan, or 33 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. San Francisco, by comparison, equals about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.

About Karachi

Karachi is the capital city of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the largest city in Pakistan and 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast and formerly served as the country's capital from 1947 to 1959. Ranked as a beta-global city, it is Pakistan's premier industrial and financial centre, with an estimated GDP of over $200 billion (PPP) as of 2021.

Known as "City of Lights", Karachi covers 3,527 km² with a population of 14.9 million. The city was established in 1729. Karachi is known for Port of Karachi, Mazar-e-Quaid mausoleum, Clifton Beach, among other attractions.

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and the 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.

About San Francisco

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.

Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.

San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.

Population Density

Karachi has a population density of 4,227 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

San Francisco fits inside Karachi ~29 times

Density Gap

San Francisco is 1.7x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Karachi

Karachi covers 3,527 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hanoi (3,359 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to San Francisco

San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Karachi or San Francisco?
Karachi is 29.1 times larger than San Francisco by area. Karachi covers 3,527 km² while San Francisco spans 121 km², a difference of 3,406 km².
How many times does San Francisco fit inside Karachi?
San Francisco (121 km²) fits inside Karachi (3,527 km²) approximately 29 times. That means Karachi is 29.1x the area of San Francisco.
What is the population difference between Karachi and San Francisco?
Karachi has approximately 14.9 million people, while San Francisco has about 0.9 million. Karachi has 14.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Karachi or San Francisco?
San Francisco is more densely populated with 7,190 people per km², compared to 4,227 people per km².
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Karachi and San Francisco

The straight-line distance from Karachi to San Francisco is 12,981 km (8,066 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 46m.

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