Nairobi
696 km²
San Diego
964 km²
Kenya
United States
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 1.4x smaller than San Diego
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 3.4x more people than San Diego
In terms of area, San Diego is 1.4x the size of Nairobi. San Diego spans 964 km² (372 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 268 km².
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.
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. San Diego, by comparison, equals about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 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.
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.
Nicknamed "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.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 4.7x the population density.
Density Gap
Nairobi is 4.7x more densely populated
History
San Diego is ~130 years older
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).
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).
The straight-line distance from Nairobi to San Diego is 15,588 km (9,686 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 50m.
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