City Map Compare/San Diego vs Tehran
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5 km
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San Diego

964 km²

Tehran

730 km²

San Diego vs Tehran - City Size Comparison

San Diego vs Tehran - City Size Comparison

San Diego

United States

Area964 km²
Population1.39M
Density1,442 /km²
Elevation422 m
Founded1769
Tehran

Iran

Area730 km²
Population9.13M
Density12,507 /km²
Elevation1,189 m
Metro Pop.16.0M
Founded1524
Climatehot-summer Mediterranean

Area Comparison

San Diego is 1.3x larger than Tehran

Population Comparison

San Diego has 6.6x fewer people than Tehran

Is San Diego Bigger Than Tehran?

In terms of area, San Diego is 1.3x the size of Tehran. San Diego spans 964 km² (372 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 234 km².

To put San Diego's size in perspective, its area of 964 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.

Picture San Diego another way: its area is large enough to fit about 135,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris. Tehran works out to about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.

About San Diego

San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the country. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.

Known as "America's Finest City", San Diego covers 964 km² with a population of 1.4 million. The city was established in 1769. San Diego is known for San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Coronado Beach, among other attractions.

San Diego sits directly on the Mexico-United States border, making it California's southwesternmost major city.

About Tehran

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.

Population Density

San Diego has a population density of 1,442 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 8.7x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Density Gap

Tehran is 8.7x more densely populated

History

Tehran is ~245 years older

Cities Similar in Size to San Diego

San Diego covers 964 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Abu Dhabi (972 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Santiago (838 km²), or Hong Kong (1,114 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Tehran

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).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is San Diego actually bigger than Tehran?
San Diego is 1.3 times larger than Tehran by area. San Diego covers 964 km² while Tehran spans 730 km², a difference of 234 km².
How many times does Tehran fit inside San Diego?
Tehran (730 km²) fits inside San Diego (964 km²) approximately 1 times. That means San Diego is 1.3x the area of Tehran.
What is the population difference between San Diego and Tehran?
Tehran has approximately 9.1 million people, while San Diego has about 1.4 million. Tehran has 7.7 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, San Diego or Tehran?
Tehran is more densely populated with 12,507 people per km², compared to 1,442 people per km².
Which city is older, San Diego or Tehran?
Tehran is older, founded around 1524, while San Diego was established around 1769 — a difference of about 245 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 Diego and Tehran

The straight-line distance from San Diego to Tehran is 12,316 km (7,653 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~14h 59m.

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