San Francisco
121 km²
Tokyo
2,194 km²
USA
Japan
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 18.1x smaller than Tokyo
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 16.0x fewer people than Tokyo
In terms of area, Tokyo is 18.1x the size of San Francisco. Tokyo spans 2,194 km² (847 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 2,073 km². You could fit San Francisco inside Tokyo approximately 18 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, Tokyo at 2,194 km² is about 1.1x smaller than Moscow.
Picture San Francisco another way: its area is large enough to fit about 17,000 American football fields, 60 times the area of Monaco, or 35 times the area of Central Park. For Tokyo, that's about 307,000 American football fields, 37 times the area of Manhattan, or 21 times the area of Paris.
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.
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city of Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring prefectures, is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with 41 million residents as of 2024.
Often called "Eastern Capital", Tokyo has an area of 2,194 km² and is home to 14.0 million people. It was established in 1457. Visitors come for Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tokyo Metro & JR East.
Greater Tokyo holds 41 million residents as of 2024, making it the most populous metropolitan area on Earth.
Looking beyond city limits, the Tokyo metropolitan area covers 13,572 km², which is 1.9x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Tokyo metro area is also more populous, with 37.4 million people compared to 4.7 million.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 people per km² — a densely populated city. Tokyo, with 6,363 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 Tokyo in Asia. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while Tokyo experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Tokyo averages 27°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Tokyo, it's midnight in San Francisco — a 17-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
San Francisco fits inside Tokyo ~18 times
Time Difference
17 hours apart
History
Tokyo is ~319 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).
Tokyo covers 2,194 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Cape Town (2,455 km²), Moscow (2,511 km²), or Lima (2,672 km²).
The straight-line distance from San Francisco to Tokyo is 8,275 km (5,142 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 14m.
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