Philadelphia
370 km²
Shanghai
6,341 km²
United States
China
Area Comparison
Philadelphia is 17.1x smaller than Shanghai
Population Comparison
Philadelphia has 15.5x fewer people than Shanghai
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 17.1 times the area of Philadelphia. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Philadelphia covers 370 km² (143 mi²) — a difference of 5,971 km². You could fit Philadelphia inside Shanghai approximately 17 times.
To put Philadelphia's size in perspective, its area of 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Shanghai at 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro.
In more relatable units, Philadelphia's 370 km² is about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park. For Shanghai, that's about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris.
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.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Often called "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai has an area of 6,341 km² and is home to 24.9 million people. The city dates back to 1291. Visitors come for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Philadelphia has a population density of 4,324 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shanghai, with 3,922 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Philadelphia is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Philadelphia fits inside Shanghai ~17 times
History
Shanghai is ~391 years older
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).
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Philadelphia to Shanghai is 11,916 km (7,404 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 31m.
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