Riyadh
1,798 km²
San Diego
964 km²
Saudi Arabia
United States
Area Comparison
Riyadh is 1.9x larger than San Diego
Population Comparison
Riyadh has 5.0x more people than San Diego
Riyadh is significantly larger, covering 1.9 times the area of San Diego. Riyadh spans 1,798 km² (694 mi²) while San Diego covers 964 km² (372 mi²) — a difference of 834 km².
To put Riyadh's size in perspective, its area of 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London. Meanwhile, San Diego at 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin.
Picture Riyadh another way: its area is large enough to fit about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 times the area of Paris. San Diego, by comparison, equals about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Riyadh covers 1,798 km² with a population of 7.0 million. The city was established in 1746. Riyadh is known for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, among other attractions.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.
San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.
Nicknamed "America's Finest City", San Diego has an area of 964 km² and is home to 1.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 1769. Visitors come for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, and much more.
San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.
Riyadh has a population density of 3,899 people per km² — a moderately dense city. San Diego, with 1,442 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Riyadh is noticeably denser, packing 2.7 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Riyadh is 2.7x more densely populated
Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 km²).
San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).
The straight-line distance from Riyadh to San Diego is 13,413 km (8,335 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~16h 17m.
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