City Map Compare/Phoenix vs Washington D.C.
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Phoenix

1,341 km²

Washington D.C.

177 km²

Phoenix vs Washington D.C. - City Size Comparison

Phoenix vs Washington D.C. - City Size Comparison

Phoenix

United States

Area1,341 km²
Population1.61M
Density1,201 /km²
Elevation331 m
Founded1868
Washington D.C.

USA

Area177 km²
Population0.69M
Density3,898 /km²
Elevation22 m
Metro Pop.6.3M
Founded1790
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Phoenix is 7.6x larger than Washington D.C.

Population Comparison

Phoenix has 2.3x more people than Washington D.C.

Is Phoenix Bigger Than Washington D.C.?

Phoenix is significantly larger, covering 7.6 times the area of Washington D.C.. Phoenix spans 1,341 km² (518 mi²) while Washington D.C. covers 177 km² (68 mi²) — a difference of 1,164 km². You could fit Washington D.C. inside Phoenix approximately 7 times.

To put Phoenix's size in perspective, its area of 1,341 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. at 177 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..

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. Washington D.C., by comparison, equals about 25,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Monaco, or 52 times the area of Central Park.

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 Washington D.C.

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.

Also known as "D.C.", Washington D.C. has an area of 177 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. It was established in 1790. Visitors come for White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Washington Metro.

Washington D.C. sits on the Potomac River across from Virginia and is bordered by Maryland to its north and east

Population Density

Phoenix has a population density of 1,201 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Washington D.C., with 3,898 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Washington D.C. is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Washington D.C. fits inside Phoenix ~7 times

Density Gap

Washington D.C. is 3.2x 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 Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. covers 177 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Stockholm (188 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Minneapolis (149 km²), or Helsinki (214 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Phoenix actually bigger than Washington D.C.?
Phoenix is 7.6 times larger than Washington D.C. by area. Phoenix covers 1,341 km² while Washington D.C. spans 177 km², a difference of 1,164 km².
How many times does Washington D.C. fit inside Phoenix?
Washington D.C. (177 km²) fits inside Phoenix (1,341 km²) approximately 7 times. That means Phoenix is 7.6x the area of Washington D.C..
What is the population difference between Phoenix and Washington D.C.?
Phoenix has approximately 1.6 million people, while Washington D.C. has about 0.7 million. Phoenix has 0.9 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Phoenix or Washington D.C.?
Washington D.C. is more densely populated with 3,898 people per km², compared to 1,201 people per km².
Which city is older, Phoenix or Washington D.C.?
Washington D.C. is older, founded around 1790, while Phoenix was established around 1868 — a difference of about 78 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 Washington D.C.

The straight-line distance from Phoenix to Washington D.C. is 3,183 km (1,978 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 15m.

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