Miami
143 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
USA
USA
Area Comparison
Miami is 1.2x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Miami has 2.0x fewer people than San Francisco
In terms of area, Miami is 1.2x the size of San Francisco. Miami spans 143 km² (55 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 22 km².
To put Miami's size in perspective, its area of 143 km² is about 1.2x the size of San Francisco. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Miami's footprint is roughly about 20,000 American football fields, 71 times the area of Monaco, or 42 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. San Francisco works out to about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
Miami is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the second-most populous city proper in Florida, with a population of 442,241 at the 2020 census. The Miami metropolitan area in South Florida has an estimated 6.39 million residents, ranking as the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southeast and eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Miami has the third-largest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises, 70 of which exceed 491 ft (150 m).
Known as "Magic City", Miami covers 143 km² with a population of 0.4 million. The city was established in 1896. Miami is known for South Beach, Art Deco Historic District, Little Havana, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Metrorail Miami.
Miami boasts the third-largest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises, 70 of them topping 491 feet
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Nicknamed "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. It was established in 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Looking beyond city limits, the Miami metropolitan area covers 15,890 km², which is 2.3x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Miami metro area is also more populous, with 6.2 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Miami has a population density of 3,077 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.
Both Miami and San Francisco are in USA, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
Miami has a tropical monsoon climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. Summers are notably different: Miami averages 28°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Miami, it's 9:00 AM in San Francisco — a 3-hour time difference.
Density Gap
San Francisco is 2.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
3 hours apart
History
San Francisco is ~120 years older
Miami covers 143 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Minneapolis (149 km²), Brussels (161 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Miami to San Francisco is 4,170 km (2,591 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 24m.
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