Minneapolis
149 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
United States
USA
Area Comparison
Minneapolis is 1.2x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Minneapolis has 2.0x fewer people than San Francisco
Minneapolis is significantly larger, covering 1.2 times the area of San Francisco. Minneapolis spans 149 km² (58 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 28 km².
To put Minneapolis's size in perspective, its area of 149 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Minneapolis's footprint is roughly about 21,000 American football fields, 74 times the area of Monaco, or 44 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.
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.
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.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 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.
Minneapolis has a population density of 2,886 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 2.5 times more people per square kilometer.
Minneapolis has a hot-summer humid continental climate climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions.
Density Gap
San Francisco is 2.5x more densely populated
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).
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 Minneapolis to San Francisco is 2,545 km (1,581 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 30m.
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