City Map Compare/Minneapolis vs Shenzhen
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Minneapolis

149 km²

Shenzhen

1,997 km²

Minneapolis vs Shenzhen - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis vs Shenzhen - City Size Comparison

Minneapolis

United States

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

China

Area1,997 km²
Population17.56M
Density8,793 /km²
Elevation35 m
Metro Pop.17.6M
Founded1979
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Minneapolis is 13.4x smaller than Shenzhen

Population Comparison

Minneapolis has 40.8x fewer people than Shenzhen

Is Minneapolis Bigger Than Shenzhen?

Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 13.4 times the area of Minneapolis. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Minneapolis covers 149 km² (58 mi²) — a difference of 1,848 km². You could fit Minneapolis inside Shenzhen approximately 13 times.

To put Minneapolis's size in perspective, its area of 149 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Washington D.C.. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (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. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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 Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.

Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. Its history stretches back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.

Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020

Population Density

Minneapolis has a population density of 2,886 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 3.0x the population density.

Climate & Time Zone

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

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Minneapolis fits inside Shenzhen ~13 times

Density Gap

Shenzhen is 3.0x more densely populated

History

Minneapolis is ~129 years older

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 Shenzhen

Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Minneapolis actually bigger than Shenzhen?
Shenzhen is 13.4 times larger than Minneapolis by area. Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² while Minneapolis spans 149 km², a difference of 1,848 km².
How many times does Minneapolis fit inside Shenzhen?
Minneapolis (149 km²) fits inside Shenzhen (1,997 km²) approximately 13 times. That means Shenzhen is 13.4x the area of Minneapolis.
What is the population difference between Minneapolis and Shenzhen?
Shenzhen has approximately 17.6 million people, while Minneapolis has about 0.4 million. Shenzhen has 17.1 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Minneapolis or Shenzhen?
Shenzhen is more densely populated with 8,793 people per km², compared to 2,886 people per km².
Which city is older, Minneapolis or Shenzhen?
Minneapolis is older, founded around 1850, while Shenzhen was established around 1979 — a difference of about 129 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 Shenzhen

The straight-line distance from Minneapolis to Shenzhen is 12,011 km (7,464 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 38m.

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