San Francisco
121 km²
Stockholm
188 km²
USA
Sweden
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 1.6x smaller than Stockholm
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 1.1x fewer people than Stockholm
Yes — Stockholm is 1.6x larger than San Francisco by area. Stockholm spans 188 km² (73 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 67 km².
To put San Francisco's size in perspective, its area of 121 km² is about 1.2x the size of Paris (city proper). Meanwhile, Stockholm at 188 km² is roughly the same size as Washington D.C..
San Francisco's footprint is roughly about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Stockholm works out to about 26,000 American football fields, 93 times the area of Monaco, or 55 times the area of Central Park.
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.
Known as "The City by the Bay", 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 ranks first by per capita income among all US cities with 300,000+ residents as of 2023.
Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of Sweden, as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately 1 million people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.5 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago.
Often called "Venice of the North", Stockholm has an area of 188 km² and is home to 1.0 million people. It was established in 1252. Visitors come for Gamla Stan, Vasa Museum, Royal Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Stockholm Metro (Tunnelbana).
Stockholm stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, forming the Nordic countries' largest urban area.
Looking beyond city limits, the San Francisco metropolitan area covers 6,984 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Stockholm at 6,519 km². The San Francisco metro area is also more populous, with 4.7 million people compared to 2.4 million.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 people per km² — a densely populated city. Stockholm, with 5,213 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though San Francisco is slightly more compact.
This comparison spans continents — San Francisco in North America versus Stockholm in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while Stockholm experiences humid continental conditions. When it's noon in Stockholm, it's 3:00 AM in San Francisco — a 9-hour time difference.
Density Gap
San Francisco is 1.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Stockholm is ~524 years older
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).
Stockholm covers 188 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Washington D.C. (177 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Helsinki (214 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Brussels (161 km²).
The straight-line distance from San Francisco to Stockholm is 8,622 km (5,357 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 39m.
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