Lagos
1,172 km²
Minneapolis
149 km²
Nigeria
United States
Area Comparison
Lagos is 7.9x larger than Minneapolis
Population Comparison
Lagos has 35.8x more people than Minneapolis
In terms of area, Lagos is 7.9x the size of Minneapolis. Lagos spans 1,172 km² (453 mi²) while Minneapolis covers 149 km² (58 mi²) — a difference of 1,023 km². You could fit Minneapolis inside Lagos approximately 7 times.
To put Lagos's size in perspective, its area of 1,172 km² is about 1.3x the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, Minneapolis at 149 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Washington D.C..
Lagos's footprint is roughly about 164,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Minneapolis, by comparison, equals about 21,000 American football fields, 74 times the area of Monaco, or 44 times the area of Central Park.
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan port city in southwestern Nigeria. As of November 2025, the size of the city's population has been estimated to be between 17 and 21 million residents, making Lagos the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world.
Known as "Lasgidi", Lagos covers 1,172 km² with a population of 15.4 million. The city was established in 1472. Lagos is known for Victoria Island, Lekki Conservation Centre, Nike Art Gallery, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Lagos Rail (Blue & Red Lines).
Lagos is the most populous urban area on the African continent, with an estimated 17 to 21 million residents as of 2025.
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 census, it is the state's most populous city. Located in the state's center near the eastern border, it occupies both banks of the Upper Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, the state capital of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding area are collectively known as the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area with 3.69 million residents.
Nicknamed "Twin Cities", Minneapolis has an area of 149 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. It was established in 1850. Visitors come for Mall of America, Mississippi River, Minnehaha Falls, and much more.
Minneapolis straddles both banks of the Upper Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota's state capital.
Lagos has a population density of 13,131 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Minneapolis, with 2,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Lagos is dramatically more crowded, with 4.5x the population density.
Lagos has a tropical savanna climate while Minneapolis experiences hot-summer humid continental climate conditions.
Size Ratio
Minneapolis fits inside Lagos ~7 times
Density Gap
Lagos is 4.5x more densely populated
History
Lagos is ~378 years older
Lagos covers 1,172 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), or Los Angeles (1,302 km²).
Minneapolis covers 149 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Miami (143 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), or Stockholm (188 km²).
The straight-line distance from Lagos to Minneapolis is 10,014 km (6,223 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 17m.
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