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USA
China
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 16.5x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 20.2x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 16.5x the size of San Francisco. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 1,876 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Shenzhen approximately 16 times.
To put San Francisco's size in perspective, its area of 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
A cultural and financial center in Northern California. Known as "SF", San Francisco covers 121 km² with a population of 0.9 million. The city was established in 1776. San Francisco is known for Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Cable cars, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the BART & Muni.
San Francisco's 121 km² makes it one of the smallest major US cities by area
China's tech capital and a major innovation hub. Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Tech industry (Huawei, Tencent, DJI), Shenzhen Bay, Window of the World theme park, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a fishing village of 30,000 people to a megacity of 17 million in just 40 years
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 3.5x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 4.7 million.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 people per km² — a densely populated city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Shenzhen is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — San Francisco in North America versus Shenzhen in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Shenzhen averages 29°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 16-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Shenzhen ~16 times
Time Difference
16 hours apart
History
San Francisco is ~203 years older
The straight-line distance from San Francisco to Shenzhen is 11,085 km (6,888 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~13h 32m. See full distance details, including timezone difference and city facts.
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