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Kenya
USA
Area Comparison
Nairobi is 5.8x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Nairobi has 5.4x more people than San Francisco
Nairobi is significantly larger, covering 5.8 times the area of San Francisco. Nairobi spans 696 km² (269 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 575 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Nairobi approximately 5 times.
To put Nairobi's size in perspective, its area of 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Kenya's capital and East Africa's largest city. Known as "The Green City in 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, Safari tourism, 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 with a national park within its borders — you can see lions with skyscrapers in the background
A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Nicknamed "SF", 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's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 10.0x larger than greater Nairobi at 696 km². The Nairobi metro area is also more populous, with 4.7 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km² — a densely populated city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though San Francisco is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Nairobi in Africa versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Nairobi has a subtropical highland climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Nairobi, it's 1:00 AM in San Francisco — a 11-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Nairobi ~5 times
Time Difference
11 hours apart
History
San Francisco is ~123 years older
The straight-line distance from Nairobi to San Francisco is 15,437 km (9,592 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 40m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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