Miami
143 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
Miami is 44.3x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Miami has 56.5x fewer people than Shanghai
In terms of area, Shanghai is 44.3x the size of Miami. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Miami covers 143 km² (55 mi²) — a difference of 6,198 km². You could fit Miami inside Shanghai approximately 44 times.
To put Miami's size in perspective, its area of 143 km² is about 1.2x the size of San Francisco. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
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. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
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
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Often called "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Looking beyond city limits, the Miami metropolitan area covers 15,890 km², which is 2.5x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 6.2 million.
Miami has a population density of 3,077 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Shanghai is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Miami in North America versus Shanghai in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Miami has a tropical monsoon climate while Shanghai experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's midnight in Miami — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Miami fits inside Shanghai ~44 times
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
Shanghai is ~605 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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Miami to Shanghai is 13,273 km (8,247 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 7m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.