London
1,572 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
UK
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
London is 6.4x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
London has 1.4x fewer people than Xi'an
In terms of area, Xi'an is 6.4x the size of London. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while London covers 1,572 km² (607 mi²) — a difference of 8,525 km². You could fit London inside Xi'an approximately 6 times.
To put London's size in perspective, its area of 1,572 km² is about 1.4x smaller than Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
London's footprint is roughly about 220,000 American football fields, 27 times the area of Manhattan, or 15 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Xi'an, that's about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 times the area of Paris.
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years.
Known as "The Big Smoke", London covers 1,572 km² with a population of 9.0 million. The city was established in 43. London is known for Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the London Underground.
London has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years, tracing its roots back to Roman times around 47 AD.
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.
London has a population density of 5,712 people per km² — a densely populated city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. London is dramatically more crowded, with 4.5x the population density.
Size Ratio
London fits inside Xi'an ~6 times
Density Gap
London is 4.5x more densely populated
London covers 1,572 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bangkok (1,569 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), São Paulo (1,521 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 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 London to Xi'an is 8,249 km (5,126 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 12m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.