City Map Compare/Seattle vs Sydney
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Seattle

369 km²

Sydney

12,368 km²

Seattle vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Seattle vs Sydney - City Size Comparison

Seattle

United States

Area369 km²
Population0.74M
Density2,005 /km²
Elevation40 m
Founded1851
Sydney

Australia

Area12,368 km²
Population5.31M
Density429 /km²
Elevation58 m
Metro Pop.5.3M
Founded1788
Climatehumid subtropical

Area Comparison

Seattle is 33.5x smaller than Sydney

Population Comparison

Seattle has 7.2x fewer people than Sydney

Is Seattle Bigger Than Sydney?

Yes — Sydney is 33.5x larger than Seattle by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Seattle covers 369 km² (142 mi²) — a difference of 11,999 km². You could fit Seattle inside Sydney approximately 33 times.

To put Seattle's size in perspective, its area of 369 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.

Picture Seattle another way: its area is large enough to fit about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park. Sydney, by comparison, equals about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.

About Seattle

Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 780,995 in 2024, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington.

Known as "The Emerald City", Seattle covers 369 km² with a population of 0.7 million. The city was established in 1851. Seattle is known for Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Starbucks headquarters, among other attractions.

Seattle is Washington's most populous city with 780,995 residents in 2024, anchoring the Pacific Northwest.

About Sydney

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.

Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. It was established in 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.

Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.

Population Density

Seattle has a population density of 2,005 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Seattle is dramatically more crowded, with 4.7x the population density.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Seattle fits inside Sydney ~33 times

Density Gap

Seattle is 4.7x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Seattle

Seattle covers 369 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Philadelphia (370 km²), Dhaka (368 km²), Portland (376 km²), Atlanta (348 km²), or Denver (401 km²).

Cities Similar in Size to Sydney

Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is larger, Seattle or Sydney?
Sydney is 33.5 times larger than Seattle by area. Sydney covers 12,368 km² while Seattle spans 369 km², a difference of 11,999 km².
How many times does Seattle fit inside Sydney?
Seattle (369 km²) fits inside Sydney (12,368 km²) approximately 33 times. That means Sydney is 33.5x the area of Seattle.
What is the population difference between Seattle and Sydney?
Sydney has approximately 5.3 million people, while Seattle has about 0.7 million. Sydney has 4.6 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Seattle or Sydney?
Seattle is more densely populated with 2,005 people per km², compared to 429 people per km².
Which city is older, Seattle or Sydney?
Sydney is older, founded around 1788, while Seattle was established around 1851 — a difference of about 63 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Seattle and Sydney

The straight-line distance from Seattle to Sydney is 12,470 km (7,749 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 10m.

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