San Francisco
121 km²
Washington D.C.
177 km²
121 km²
177 km²
USA
USA
Area Comparison
San Francisco is 1.5x smaller than Washington D.C.
Population Comparison
San Francisco has 1.3x more people than Washington D.C.
Yes — Washington D.C. is 1.5x larger than San Francisco by area. Washington D.C. spans 177 km² (68 mi²) while San Francisco covers 121 km² (47 mi²) — a difference of 56 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, Washington D.C. at 177 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. Washington D.C., by comparison, equals about 25,000 American football fields, 88 times the area of Monaco, or 52 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.
Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as simply Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States.
Also known as "D.C.", Washington D.C. has an area of 177 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1790. Visitors come for White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Washington Metro.
Washington D.C. sits on the Potomac River across from Virginia and is bordered by Maryland to its north and east
Looking beyond city limits, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area covers 14,412 km², which is 2.1x larger than greater San Francisco at 6,984 km². The Washington D.C. metro area is also more populous, with 6.3 million people compared to 4.7 million.
San Francisco has a population density of 7,190 people per km² — a densely populated city. Washington D.C., with 3,898 people per km², is a moderately dense city. San Francisco is noticeably denser, packing 1.8 times more people per square kilometer.
Both San Francisco and Washington D.C. are in USA, making this a domestic size comparison that reveals how differently cities can develop within the same nation.
San Francisco has a Mediterranean climate while Washington D.C. experiences humid subtropical conditions. Summers are notably different: Washington D.C. averages 26°C compared to 17°C in San Francisco. When it's noon in Washington D.C., it's 9:00 AM in San Francisco — a 3-hour time difference.
Density Gap
San Francisco is 1.8x more densely populated
Time Difference
3 hours apart
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).
Washington D.C. covers 177 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Stockholm (188 km²), Brussels (161 km²), Buenos Aires (203 km²), Minneapolis (149 km²), or Helsinki (214 km²).
The straight-line distance from San Francisco to Washington D.C. is 3,919 km (2,435 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 7m.
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