City Map Compare/Minneapolis vs Nairobi
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Minneapolis

149 km²

Nairobi

696 km²

Minneapolis vs Nairobi - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis vs Nairobi - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis

United States

Area149 km²
Population0.43M
Density2,886 /km²
Elevation264 m
Founded1850
Climatehot-summer humid continental climate
Nairobi

Kenya

Area696 km²
Population4.73M
Density6,796 /km²
Elevation1,661 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1899
Climatesubtropical highland

Area Comparison

Minneapolis is 4.7x smaller than Nairobi

Population Comparison

Minneapolis has 11.0x fewer people than Nairobi

Is Minneapolis Bigger Than Nairobi?

In terms of area, Nairobi is 4.7x the size of Minneapolis. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while Minneapolis covers 149 km² (58 mi²) — a difference of 547 km². You could fit Minneapolis inside Nairobi approximately 4 times.

To put Minneapolis's size in perspective, its area of 149 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.

Picture Minneapolis another way: its area is large enough to fit about 21,000 American football fields, 74 times the area of Monaco, or 44 times the area of Central Park. Nairobi works out to about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.

About Minneapolis

Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 census, it is the state's most populous city. Located in the state's center near the eastern border, it occupies both banks of the Upper Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, the state capital of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding area are collectively known as the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area with 3.69 million residents.

Known as "Twin Cities", Minneapolis covers 149 km² with a population of 0.4 million. The city was established in 1850. Minneapolis is known for Mall of America, Mississippi River, Minnehaha Falls, among other attractions.

Minneapolis straddles both banks of the Upper Mississippi River and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota's state capital.

About Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".

Nicknamed "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. It was established in 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.

Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.

Population Density

Minneapolis has a population density of 2,886 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is noticeably denser, packing 2.4 times more people per square kilometer.

Climate & Time Zone

Minneapolis has a hot-summer humid continental climate climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Minneapolis fits inside Nairobi ~4 times

Density Gap

Nairobi is 2.4x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Minneapolis

Minneapolis covers 149 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Miami (143 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Washington D.C. (177 km²), San Francisco (121 km²), or Stockholm (188 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Nairobi

Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Minneapolis or Nairobi?
Nairobi is 4.7 times larger than Minneapolis by area. Nairobi covers 696 km² while Minneapolis spans 149 km², a difference of 547 km².
How many times does Minneapolis fit inside Nairobi?
Minneapolis (149 km²) fits inside Nairobi (696 km²) approximately 4 times. That means Nairobi is 4.7x the area of Minneapolis.
What is the population difference between Minneapolis and Nairobi?
Nairobi has approximately 4.7 million people, while Minneapolis has about 0.4 million. Nairobi has 4.3 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Minneapolis or Nairobi?
Nairobi is more densely populated with 6,796 people per km², compared to 2,886 people per km².
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Minneapolis and Nairobi

The straight-line distance from Minneapolis to Nairobi is 13,135 km (8,161 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 57m.

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