City Map Compare/Minneapolis vs San Diego
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Minneapolis

149 km²

San Diego

964 km²

Minneapolis vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis vs San Diego - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis

United States

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

United States

Area964 km²
Population1.39M
Density1,442 /km²
Elevation422 m
Founded1769

Area Comparison

Minneapolis is 6.5x smaller than San Diego

Population Comparison

Minneapolis has 3.2x fewer people than San Diego

Is Minneapolis Bigger Than San Diego?

Yes — San Diego is 6.5x larger than Minneapolis by area. San Diego spans 964 km² (372 mi²) while Minneapolis covers 149 km² (58 mi²) — a difference of 815 km². You could fit Minneapolis inside San Diego approximately 6 times.

To put Minneapolis's size in perspective, its area of 149 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.

In more relatable units, Minneapolis's 149 km² is about 21,000 American football fields, 74 times the area of Monaco, or 44 times the area of Central Park. San Diego works out to about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 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 San Diego

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.

Also known as "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. It was established in 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.

San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.

Population Density

Minneapolis has a population density of 2,886 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Minneapolis is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Minneapolis fits inside San Diego ~6 times

Density Gap

Minneapolis is 2.0x 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 San Diego

San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Minneapolis actually bigger than San Diego?
San Diego is 6.5 times larger than Minneapolis by area. San Diego covers 964 km² while Minneapolis spans 149 km², a difference of 815 km².
How many times does Minneapolis fit inside San Diego?
Minneapolis (149 km²) fits inside San Diego (964 km²) approximately 6 times. That means San Diego is 6.5x the area of Minneapolis.
What is the population difference between Minneapolis and San Diego?
San Diego has approximately 1.4 million people, while Minneapolis has about 0.4 million. San Diego has 1.0 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Minneapolis or San Diego?
Minneapolis is more densely populated with 2,886 people per km², compared to 1,442 people per km².
Which city is older, Minneapolis or San Diego?
San Diego is older, founded around 1769, while Minneapolis was established around 1850 — a difference of about 81 years.
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 San Diego

The straight-line distance from Minneapolis to San Diego is 2,464 km (1,531 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 24m.

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