Los Angeles
1,302 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
Los Angeles is 1.5x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Los Angeles has 4.4x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 1.5x the size of Los Angeles. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Los Angeles covers 1,302 km² (503 mi²) — a difference of 695 km².
To put Los Angeles's size in perspective, its area of 1,302 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture Los Angeles another way: its area is large enough to fit about 182,000 American football fields, 22 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
Los Angeles (LA) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3.88 million residents within the city limits as of 2024, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind New York City, and the largest city in the Western United States. The city has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.9 million people (2024).
Known as "The City of Angels", Los Angeles covers 1,302 km² with a population of 4.0 million. The city was established in 1781. Los Angeles is known for Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the LA Metro.
Los Angeles is the second-most populous city in the United States, home to 3.88 million residents within city limits as of 2024.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Nicknamed "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. Its history stretches back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Los Angeles metropolitan area covers 12,562 km², which is 6.3x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 13.2 million.
Los Angeles has a population density of 3,049 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is noticeably denser, packing 2.9 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Los Angeles in North America versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's midnight in Los Angeles — a 16-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 2.9x more densely populated
Time Difference
16 hours apart
History
Los Angeles is ~198 years older
Los Angeles covers 1,302 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Rome (1,285 km²), Phoenix (1,341 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), San Antonio (1,209 km²), or Lagos (1,172 km²).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Los Angeles to Shenzhen is 11,639 km (7,232 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 12m.
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