New York
783 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
New York is 8.1x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
New York has 3.0x fewer people than Shanghai
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 8.1 times the area of New York. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while New York covers 783 km² (302 mi²) — a difference of 5,558 km². You could fit New York inside Shanghai approximately 8 times.
To put New York's size in perspective, its area of 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
Picture New York another way: its area is large enough to fit about 110,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris. Shanghai, by comparison, equals about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area.
Known as "New York City", New York covers 783 km² with a population of 8.3 million. The city was established in 1624. New York is known for Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the NYC Subway.
New York City sits on one of the world's largest natural harbors, which shaped its rise as America's commercial gateway.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. It was established in 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Looking beyond city limits, the New York metropolitan area covers 17,405 km², which is 2.7x larger than greater Shanghai at 6,341 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 20.1 million.
New York has a population density of 10,651 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. New York is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — New York in North America versus Shanghai in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's midnight in New York — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
New York fits inside Shanghai ~8 times
Density Gap
New York is 2.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
Shanghai is ~333 years older
New York covers 783 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Hamburg (755 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Kyoto (828 km²), Singapore (733 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from New York to Shanghai is 11,858 km (7,368 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 27m.
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