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Brazil
USA
Area Comparison
Rio de Janeiro is 10.1x larger than San Francisco
Population Comparison
Rio de Janeiro has 7.8x more people than San Francisco
Rio de Janeiro is significantly larger, covering 10.1 times the area of San Francisco. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 1,100 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Rio de Janeiro approximately 10 times.
To put Rio de Janeiro's size in perspective, its area of 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).
Brazil's iconic coastal city known for Carnival. Known as "The Marvelous City", Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km² with a population of 6.8 million. The city was established in 1565. Rio de Janeiro is known for Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana Beach, Carnival, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the MetrôRio.
Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue is struck by lightning an average of 6 times per year
A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Nicknamed "SF", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.
San Francisco's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 1.0x larger than greater Rio de Janeiro at 6,744 km². The Rio de Janeiro metro area is also more populous, with 13.5 million people compared to 4.7 million.
Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km² — a densely populated city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though San Francisco is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — Rio de Janeiro in South America versus San Francisco in North America. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical savanna climate while San Francisco experiences Mediterranean conditions. Summers are notably different: Rio de Janeiro averages 27°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Rio de Janeiro, it's 7:00 AM in San Francisco — a 5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Rio de Janeiro ~10 times
Density Gap
San Francisco is 1.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
5 hours apart
History
Rio de Janeiro is ~211 years older
The straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro to San Francisco is 10,662 km (6,625 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 3m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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