Osaka
225 km²
San Francisco
121 km²
Japan
USA
Area Comparison
Osaka is 1.9x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Osaka has 3.2x more people than San Francisco
Yes — Osaka is 1.9x larger than San Francisco by area. Osaka spans 225 km² (87 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 104 km².
To put Osaka's size in perspective, its area of 225 km² is roughly the same size as Amsterdam. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Picture Osaka another way: its area is large enough to fit about 32,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Monaco, or 66 times the area of Central Park. San Francisco works out to about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With an estimated population of 2,816,247 as of October 1, 2025 and a population density of about 12,505 people per square kilometer, it is the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan and the 10th-largest urban…
Known as "Nation's Kitchen", Osaka covers 225 km² with a population of 2.8 million. The city was established in 645. Osaka is known for Osaka Castle, Dotonbori district, Universal Studios Japan, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Osaka Metro.
Osaka is the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama.
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.
Also known as "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. Its history stretches 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 ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Looking beyond city limits, the Osaka metropolitan area covers 13,228 km², which is 1.9x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Osaka metro area is also more populous, with 19.3 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Osaka has a population density of 12,222 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Osaka is noticeably denser, packing 1.7 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Osaka in Asia versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Osaka has a humid subtropical climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. Summers are notably different: Osaka averages 28°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Osaka, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 17-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Osaka is 1.7x more densely populated
Time Difference
17 hours apart
History
Osaka is ~1,131 years older
Osaka covers 225 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Amsterdam (219 km²), Boston (232 km²), Helsinki (214 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), or Buenos Aires (203 km²).
San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
The straight-line distance from Osaka to San Francisco is 8,642 km (5,370 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 40m.
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