City Map Compare/Philadelphia vs São Paulo
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Philadelphia

370 km²

São Paulo

1,521 km²

Philadelphia vs São Paulo - City Size Comparison

Philadelphia vs São Paulo - City Size Comparison

Philadelphia

United States

Area370 km²
Population1.60M
Density4,324 /km²
Elevation12 m
Founded1682
São Paulo

Brazil

Area1,521 km²
Population12.33M
Density8,107 /km²
Elevation760 m
Metro Pop.22.0M
Founded1554
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Philadelphia is 4.1x smaller than São Paulo

Population Comparison

Philadelphia has 7.7x fewer people than São Paulo

Is Philadelphia Bigger Than São Paulo?

In terms of area, São Paulo is 4.1x the size of Philadelphia. São Paulo spans 1,521 km² (587 mi²) while Philadelphia covers 370 km² (143 mi²) — a difference of 1,151 km². You could fit Philadelphia inside São Paulo approximately 4 times.

To put Philadelphia's size in perspective, its area of 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, São Paulo at 1,521 km² is roughly the same size as London.

Philadelphia's footprint is roughly about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. São Paulo works out to about 213,000 American football fields, 26 times the area of Manhattan, or 14 times the area of Paris.

About Philadelphia

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a Census-estimated population of 1,574,281 in July 2025. The Philadelphia metropolitan area has 6.33 million residents and is the nation's ninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known for its culture, cuisine, and history, maintaining contemporary influence in business and technology, sports, and music.

Known as "Philly", Philadelphia covers 370 km² with a population of 1.6 million. The city was established in 1682. Philadelphia is known for Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philly Cheesesteak, among other attractions.

Philadelphia is the sixth-most populous US city, with an estimated 1,574,281 residents as of July 2025.

About São Paulo

São Paulo is the capital city of the state of the same name, as well as the most populous city in Brazil, South America, the Americas, and in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The city exerts international influence in commerce, finance, culture, gastronomy, arts, fashion, technology, entertainment and media, having been listed by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network as a "City of Film" and the title of "World Capital of Gastronomy", and by the Globalization and World Cities Research…

Often called "Sampa", São Paulo has an area of 1,521 km² and is home to 12.3 million people. The city dates back to 1554. Visitors come for Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Museum of Art, and much more. Getting around is easy with the São Paulo Metro.

São Paulo is the most populous city in Brazil, the Americas, and both the Western and Southern Hemispheres.

Population Density

Philadelphia has a population density of 4,324 people per km² — a moderately dense city. São Paulo, with 8,107 people per km², is a densely populated city. São Paulo is noticeably denser, packing 1.9 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Philadelphia fits inside São Paulo ~4 times

Density Gap

São Paulo is 1.9x more densely populated

History

São Paulo is ~128 years older

Cities Similar in Size to Philadelphia

Philadelphia covers 370 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Seattle (369 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to São Paulo

São Paulo covers 1,521 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Mexico City (1,485 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), London (1,572 km²), or Bogotá (1,578 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Philadelphia bigger than São Paulo?
São Paulo is 4.1 times larger than Philadelphia by area. São Paulo covers 1,521 km² while Philadelphia spans 370 km², a difference of 1,151 km².
How many times does Philadelphia fit inside São Paulo?
Philadelphia (370 km²) fits inside São Paulo (1,521 km²) approximately 4 times. That means São Paulo is 4.1x the area of Philadelphia.
What is the population difference between Philadelphia and São Paulo?
São Paulo has approximately 12.3 million people, while Philadelphia has about 1.6 million. São Paulo has 10.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Philadelphia or São Paulo?
São Paulo is more densely populated with 8,107 people per km², compared to 4,324 people per km².
Which city is older, Philadelphia or São Paulo?
São Paulo is older, founded around 1554, while Philadelphia was established around 1682 — a difference of about 128 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Philadelphia and São Paulo

The straight-line distance from Philadelphia to São Paulo is 7,656 km (4,757 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 30m.

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