New York
783 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
USA
China
Area Comparison
New York is 2.6x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
New York has 2.1x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 2.6x the size of New York. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while New York covers 783 km² (302 mi²) — a difference of 1,214 km². You could fit New York inside Shenzhen approximately 2 times.
To put New York's size in perspective, its area of 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
New York's footprint is roughly about 110,000 American football fields, 13 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 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.
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.
Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. The city dates 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
Looking beyond city limits, the New York metropolitan area covers 17,405 km², which is 8.7x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The New York metro area is also more populous, with 20.1 million people compared to 17.6 million.
New York has a population density of 10,651 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though New York is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — New York in North America versus Shenzhen 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 Shenzhen, it's midnight in New York — a 13-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
New York fits inside Shenzhen ~2 times
Time Difference
13 hours apart
History
New York is ~355 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).
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).
The straight-line distance from New York to Shenzhen is 12,932 km (8,036 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 43m.
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