Oslo
454 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Norway
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Oslo is 5.2x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Oslo has 1.7x more people than Zurich
Yes — Oslo is 5.2x larger than Zurich by area. Oslo spans 454 km² (175 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 366 km². You could fit Zurich inside Oslo approximately 5 times.
To put Oslo's size in perspective, its area of 454 km² is about 1.3x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
Picture Oslo another way: its area is large enough to fit about 64,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Central Park, or 8 times the area of Manhattan. Zurich, by comparison, equals about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of 724,290 in 2025, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,110,887 in 2025, and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021.
Known as "Tigerstaden", Oslo covers 454 km² with a population of 0.7 million. The city was established in 1048. Oslo is known for Vigeland Park, Oslo Opera House, Akershus Fortress, among other attractions.
Oslo is both a county and a municipality, with the city itself home to about 724,000 residents in 2025.
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. It was founded around 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.
Oslo has a population density of 1,586 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is dramatically more crowded, with 3.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Oslo ~5 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 3.1x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~1,063 years older
Oslo covers 454 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Prague (496 km²), Vienna (415 km²), Montreal (498 km²), Denver (401 km²), or Warsaw (517 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 Oslo to Zurich is 1,401 km (871 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 9m.
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