Rio de Janeiro
1,221 km²
Tehran
730 km²
Brazil
Iran
Area Comparison
Rio de Janeiro is 1.7x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Rio de Janeiro has 1.4x fewer people than Tehran
Yes — Rio de Janeiro is 1.7x larger than Tehran by area. Rio de Janeiro spans 1,221 km² (471 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 491 km².
To put Rio de Janeiro's size in perspective, its area of 1,221 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
Picture Rio de Janeiro another way: its area is large enough to fit about 171,000 American football fields, 21 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Rio de Janeiro, also known simply as Rio, is the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous city in the Americas.
Known as "Cidade Maravilhosa", 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, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the MetrôRio.
Rio de Janeiro is the second-most-populous city in Brazil after São Paulo and the sixth-most-populous in the Americas.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. It was established in 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area covers 6,744 km², which is 3.0x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Tehran metro area is also more populous, with 16.0 million people compared to 13.5 million.
Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km² — a densely populated city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Rio de Janeiro in South America versus Tehran in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical savanna climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Rio de Janeiro stays around 21°C while Tehran drops to 3°C. When it's noon in Tehran, it's 5.5:00 AM in Rio de Janeiro — a 6.5-hour time difference.
Density Gap
Tehran is 2.3x more densely populated
Time Difference
6.5 hours apart
Rio de Janeiro covers 1,221 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Antonio (1,209 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Rio de Janeiro to Tehran is 11,859 km (7,369 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 27m.
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