Kyoto
828 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Japan
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Kyoto is 9.4x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Kyoto has 3.4x more people than Zurich
Kyoto is significantly larger, covering 9.4 times the area of Zurich. Kyoto spans 828 km² (320 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 740 km². You could fit Zurich inside Kyoto approximately 9 times.
To put Kyoto's size in perspective, its area of 828 km² is roughly the same size as New York City. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
Kyoto's footprint is roughly about 116,000 American football fields, 14 times the area of Manhattan, or 8 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Zurich, that's about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
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. Its history stretches back to 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.
Kyoto has a population density of 1,763 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is noticeably denser, packing 2.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Kyoto ~9 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 2.8x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~809 years older
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).
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 Kyoto to Zurich is 9,455 km (5,875 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 37m.
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