Nairobi
696 km²
Phoenix
1,341 km²
Kenya
United States
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 1.9x smaller than Phoenix
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 2.9x more people than Phoenix
In terms of area, Phoenix is 1.9x the size of Nairobi. Phoenix spans 1,341 km² (518 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 645 km².
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, Phoenix at 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London.
Picture Nairobi another way: its area is large enough to fit about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris. Phoenix, by comparison, equals about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 times the area of Paris.
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".
Known as "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi covers 696 km² with a population of 4.7 million. The city was established in 1899. Nairobi is known for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.
Also known as "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix has an area of 1,341 km² and is home to 1.6 million people. It was established in 1868. Visitors come for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, and much more.
Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. Phoenix, with 1,201 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 5.7x the population density.
Density Gap
Nairobi is 5.7x more densely populated
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).
Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).
The straight-line distance from Nairobi to Phoenix is 15,190 km (9,439 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 22m.
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