Philadelphia
370 km²
Zurich
88 km²
United States
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Philadelphia is 4.2x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Philadelphia has 3.7x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, Philadelphia is 4.2x the size of Zurich. Philadelphia spans 370 km² (143 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 282 km². You could fit Zurich inside Philadelphia approximately 4 times.
To put Philadelphia's size in perspective, its area of 370 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
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. Zurich works out to about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
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.
Philadelphia has a population density of 4,324 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Zurich is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Philadelphia ~4 times
History
Zurich is ~1,697 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).
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 Philadelphia to Zurich is 6,453 km (4,010 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 6m.
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