City Map Compare/San Antonio vs San Francisco
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San Antonio

1,209 km²

San Francisco

121 km²

San Antonio vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

San Antonio vs San Francisco - City Size Comparison

San Antonio

United States

Area1,209 km²
Population1.43M
Density1,183 /km²
Elevation198 m
Founded1718
San Francisco

USA

Area121 km²
Population0.87M
Density7,190 /km²
Elevation16 m
Metro Pop.4.7M
Founded1776
ClimateMediterranean

Area Comparison

San Antonio is 10.0x larger than San Francisco

Population Comparison

San Antonio has 1.6x more people than San Francisco

Is San Antonio Bigger Than San Francisco?

San Antonio is significantly larger, covering 10.0 times the area of San Francisco. San Antonio spans 1,209 km² (467 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 1,088 km². You could fit San Francisco inside San Antonio approximately 9 times.

To put San Antonio's size in perspective, its area of 1,209 km² is about 1.3x smaller than London. Meanwhile, San Francisco at 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper).

In more relatable units, San Antonio's 1,209 km² is about 169,000 American football fields, 20 times the area of Manhattan, or 11 times the area of Paris. San Francisco works out to about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park.

About San Antonio

San Antonio is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, the second-most populous city in Texas, and the second-most populous city in the Southern U.S., with a population of 1.43 million at the 2020 census. The Greater San Antonio metropolitan area, with an estimated 2.76 million residents, ranks as the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest in the nation. It is the county seat of Bexar County.

Known as "Alamo City", San Antonio covers 1,209 km² with a population of 1.4 million. The city was established in 1718. San Antonio is known for The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, Tower of the Americas, among other attractions.

San Antonio is the seventh-most populous city in the United States and second-most populous in Texas, with 1.43 million residents.

About San Francisco

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 826,079 in 2025. Among U.S. cities with a population of 300,000 or more, San Francisco is ranked first by per capita income, second by population density, and sixth by aggregate income as of 2023.

Often called "The City by the Bay", San Francisco has an area of 121 km² and is home to 0.9 million people. The city dates back to 1776. Visitors come for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, and much more. Getting around is easy with the BART & Muni.

San Francisco ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.

Population Density

San Antonio has a population density of 1,183 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. San Francisco, with 7,190 people per km², is a densely populated city. San Francisco is dramatically more crowded, with 6.1x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

San Francisco fits inside San Antonio ~9 times

Density Gap

San Francisco is 6.1x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to San Antonio

San Antonio covers 1,209 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Rio de Janeiro (1,221 km²), Lagos (1,172 km²), Rome (1,285 km²), Los Angeles (1,302 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to San Francisco

San Francisco covers 121 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Vancouver (115 km²), Paris (105 km²), Miami (143 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is San Antonio actually bigger than San Francisco?
San Antonio is 10.0 times larger than San Francisco by area. San Antonio covers 1,209 km² while San Francisco spans 121 km², a difference of 1,088 km².
How many times does San Francisco fit inside San Antonio?
San Francisco (121 km²) fits inside San Antonio (1,209 km²) approximately 9 times. That means San Antonio is 10.0x the area of San Francisco.
What is the population difference between San Antonio and San Francisco?
San Antonio has approximately 1.4 million people, while San Francisco has about 0.9 million. San Antonio has 0.6 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, San Antonio or San Francisco?
San Francisco is more densely populated with 7,190 people per km², compared to 1,183 people per km².
Which city is older, San Antonio or San Francisco?
San Antonio is older, founded around 1718, while San Francisco was established around 1776 — a difference of about 58 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between San Antonio and San Francisco

The straight-line distance from San Antonio to San Francisco is 2,394 km (1,487 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~3h 19m.

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