Riyadh
1,798 km²
Tehran
730 km²
Saudi Arabia
Iran
Area Comparison
Riyadh is 2.5x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Riyadh has 1.3x fewer people than Tehran
Riyadh is significantly larger, covering 2.5 times the area of Tehran. Riyadh spans 1,798 km² (694 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 1,068 km². You could fit Tehran 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, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
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. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 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.
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. The city dates back to 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.
Riyadh has a population density of 3,899 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Riyadh ~2 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 3.2x more densely populated
History
Tehran is ~222 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).
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 Riyadh to Tehran is 1,308 km (813 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h 2m.
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