Riyadh
1,798 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Area Comparison
Riyadh is 3.0x larger than Seoul
Population Comparison
Riyadh has 1.4x fewer people than Seoul
In terms of area, Riyadh is 3.0x the size of Seoul. Riyadh spans 1,798 km² (694 mi²) while Seoul covers 605 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,193 km². You could fit Seoul inside Riyadh approximately 2 times.
To put Riyadh's size in perspective, its area of 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
Riyadh's footprint is roughly about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Seoul, that's about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
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.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. The city dates back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Riyadh has a population density of 3,899 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 4.1x the population density.
Size Ratio
Seoul fits inside Riyadh ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 4.1x more densely populated
History
Seoul is ~1,764 years older
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).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Riyadh to Seoul is 7,552 km (4,692 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~9h 23m.
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