Rome
1,285 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Italy
Australia
Area Comparison
Rome is 9.6x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Rome has 1.9x fewer people than Sydney
In terms of area, Sydney is 9.6x the size of Rome. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Rome covers 1,285 km² (496 mi²) — a difference of 11,083 km². You could fit Rome inside Sydney approximately 9 times.
To put Rome's size in perspective, its area of 1,285 km² is about 1.2x smaller than London. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Rome another way: its area is large enough to fit about 180,000 American football fields, 22 times the area of Manhattan, or 12 times the area of Paris. For Sydney, that's about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
Rome is the capital city and most populated comune (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special comune named Roma Capitale with a population of 2.7 million in an area of 1,287.36 km2 (497.1 mi2), Rome is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, with a population of 4.2 million, is the most populous metropolitan city in Italy.
Known as "The Eternal City", Rome covers 1,285 km² with a population of 2.9 million. The city was founded around 753 BC. Rome is known for Colosseum, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Rome Metro.
Rome's special comune Roma Capitale spans 1,287 km2, making it the third most populous city in the EU within city limits
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Also known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 2.3x larger than greater Rome at 5,352 km². The Sydney metro area is also more populous, with 5.3 million people compared to 4.3 million.
Rome has a population density of 2,233 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Rome is dramatically more crowded, with 5.2x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Rome in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Rome has a Mediterranean climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 3:00 AM in Rome — a 9-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Rome fits inside Sydney ~9 times
Density Gap
Rome is 5.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Rome is ~2,541 years older
Rome covers 1,285 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Los Angeles (1,302 km²), Phoenix (1,341 km²), Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), San Antonio (1,209 km²), or Lagos (1,172 km²).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Rome to Sydney is 16,321 km (10,141 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 42m.
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