Riyadh
1,798 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Saudi Arabia
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Riyadh is 20.4x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Riyadh has 16.3x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, Riyadh is 20.4x the size of Zurich. Riyadh spans 1,798 km² (694 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 1,710 km². You could fit Zurich inside Riyadh approximately 20 times.
To put Riyadh's size in perspective, its area of 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
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. Zurich works out to about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Riyadh has a population density of 3,899 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Both cities have comparable density, though Zurich is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Riyadh ~20 times
History
Zurich is ~1,761 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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Riyadh to Zurich is 4,199 km (2,609 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 26m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.