San Francisco
121 km²
Vancouver
115 km²
USA
Canada
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 1.1x larger than Vancouver
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 1.3x more people than Vancouver
San Francisco is significantly larger, covering 1.1 times the area of Vancouver. San Francisco spans 121 km² (47 mi²) while Vancouver covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 6 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, Vancouver at 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco.
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. Vancouver, by comparison, equals about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 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.
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6 million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada. Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley, comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3 million.
Also known as "Hollywood North", Vancouver has an area of 115 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. It was established in 1886. Visitors come for Stanley Park, Granville Island, Capilano Suspension Bridge, and much more.
Vancouver grew from 631,486 residents in 2016 to 662,248 by the 2021 census, leading all of British Columbia.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 people per km² — a densely populated city. Vancouver, with 5,739 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though San Francisco is slightly more compact.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while Vancouver experiences Marine west coast climate conditions.
History
San Francisco is ~110 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).
Vancouver covers 115 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Francisco (121 km²), Paris (105 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), or Miami (143 km²).
The straight-line distance from San Francisco to Vancouver is 1,278 km (794 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~2h.
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