Los Angeles
1,302 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
USA
Australia
Area Comparison
Los Angeles is 9.5x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Los Angeles has 1.3x fewer people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 9.5x the size of Los Angeles. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Los Angeles covers 1,302 km² (503 mi²) — a difference of 11,066 km². You could fit Los Angeles inside Sydney approximately 9 times.
To put Los Angeles's size in perspective, its area of 1,302 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Los Angeles's 1,302 km² is about 182,000 American football fields, 22 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. The city dates back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Los Angeles metropolitan area covers 12,562 km², which is 1.0x larger than greater Sydney at 12,368 km². The Los Angeles metro area is also more populous, with 13.2 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Los Angeles has a population density of 3,049 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Los Angeles is dramatically more crowded, with 7.1x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Los Angeles in North America versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's midnight in Los Angeles — a 18-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Los Angeles fits inside Sydney ~9 times
Density Gap
Los Angeles is 7.1x more densely populated
Time Difference
18 hours apart
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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Los Angeles to Sydney is 12,074 km (7,502 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 42m.
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