New York
783 km²
Zurich
88 km²
USA
Switzerland
Area Comparison
New York is 8.9x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
New York has 19.4x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, New York is 8.9x the size of Zurich. New York spans 783 km² (302 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 695 km². You could fit Zurich inside New York approximately 8 times.
To put New York's size in perspective, its area of 783 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Berlin. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (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. Zurich, by comparison, equals about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. The city dates back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Looking beyond city limits, the New York metropolitan area covers 17,405 km², which is 13.0x larger than greater Zurich at 1,334 km². The New York metro area is also more populous, with 20.1 million people compared to 1.4 million.
New York has a population density of 10,651 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. New York is noticeably denser, packing 2.2 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — New York in North America versus Zurich in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
New York has a humid subtropical climate while Zurich experiences oceanic conditions. When it's noon in Zurich, it's 6:00 AM in New York — a 6-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside New York ~8 times
Density Gap
New York is 2.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
6 hours apart
History
Zurich is ~1,639 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from New York to Zurich is 6,324 km (3,929 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 56m.
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