Kyoto
828 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
Japan
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Kyoto is 12.2x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Kyoto has 8.9x fewer people than Xi'an
Xi'an is significantly larger, covering 12.2 times the area of Kyoto. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Kyoto covers 828 km² (320 mi²) — a difference of 9,269 km². You could fit Kyoto inside Xi'an approximately 12 times.
To put Kyoto's size in perspective, its area of 828 km² is roughly the same size as New York City. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Kyoto's 828 km² is about 116,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris. Xi'an works out to about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 times the area of Paris.
Kyoto, officially Kyoto City , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people.
Known as "Thousand-Year Capital", Kyoto covers 828 km² with a population of 1.5 million. The city was established in 794. Kyoto is known for Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Gion geisha district, among other attractions.
More than half of Kyoto Prefecture's entire population lives within Kyoto City itself.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Nicknamed "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Kyoto has a population density of 1,763 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Kyoto is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Kyoto fits inside Xi'an ~12 times
Density Gap
Kyoto is 1.4x more densely populated
Kyoto covers 828 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Santiago (838 km²), New York (783 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), or Bangalore (741 km²).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Kyoto to Xi'an is 2,448 km (1,521 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 23m.
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