City Map Compare/Phoenix vs Sydney
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Phoenix

1,341 km²

Sydney

12,368 km²

Phoenix vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Phoenix vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Phoenix

United States

Area1,341 km²
Population1.61M
Density1,201 /km²
Elevation331 m
Founded1868
Sydney

Australia

Area12,368 km²
Population5.31M
Density429 /km²
Elevation58 m
Metro Pop.5.3M
Founded1788
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Phoenix is 9.2x smaller than Sydney

Population Comparison

Phoenix has 3.3x fewer people than Sydney

Is Phoenix Bigger Than Sydney?

In terms of area, Sydney is 9.2x the size of Phoenix. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Phoenix covers 1,341 km² (518 mi²) — a difference of 11,027 km². You could fit Phoenix inside Sydney approximately 9 times.

To put Phoenix's size in perspective, its area of 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.

Picture Phoenix another way: its area is large enough to fit about 188,000 American football fields, 23 times the area of Manhattan, or 13 times the area of Paris. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.

About Phoenix

Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, Phoenix is the fifth-most populous city in the United States and the most populous state capital. The Phoenix metropolitan area, with an estimated 5.19 million residents, is the tenth-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest.

Known as "Valley of the Sun", Phoenix covers 1,341 km² with a population of 1.6 million. The city was established in 1868. Phoenix is known for Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, among other attractions.

Phoenix is the most populous U.S. state capital and the fifth-largest city in the country with 1.6 million residents.

About Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.

Nicknamed "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.

Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.

Population Density

Phoenix has a population density of 1,201 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Phoenix is noticeably denser, packing 2.8 times more people per square kilometer.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Phoenix fits inside Sydney ~9 times

Density Gap

Phoenix is 2.8x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Phoenix

Phoenix covers 1,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Delhi (1,484 km²), or Mexico City (1,485 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Sydney

Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Phoenix actually bigger than Sydney?
Sydney is 9.2 times larger than Phoenix by area. Sydney covers 12,368 km² while Phoenix spans 1,341 km², a difference of 11,027 km².
How many times does Phoenix fit inside Sydney?
Phoenix (1,341 km²) fits inside Sydney (12,368 km²) approximately 9 times. That means Sydney is 9.2x the area of Phoenix.
What is the population difference between Phoenix and Sydney?
Sydney has approximately 5.3 million people, while Phoenix has about 1.6 million. Sydney has 3.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Phoenix or Sydney?
Phoenix is more densely populated with 1,201 people per km², compared to 429 people per km².
Which city is older, Phoenix or Sydney?
Sydney is older, founded around 1788, while Phoenix was established around 1868 — a difference of about 80 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 Phoenix and Sydney

The straight-line distance from Phoenix to Sydney is 12,548 km (7,797 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 16m.

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