Seattle
369 km²
Zurich
88 km²
United States
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Seattle is 4.2x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Seattle has 1.7x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, Seattle is 4.2x the size of Zurich. Seattle spans 369 km² (142 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 281 km². You could fit Zurich inside Seattle approximately 4 times.
To put Seattle's size in perspective, its area of 369 km² is about 1.6x smaller than Seoul. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
Seattle's footprint is roughly about 52,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Monaco, or 110 times the area of Central Park — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Zurich works out to about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. The city dates back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Seattle has a population density of 2,005 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is noticeably denser, packing 2.4 times more people per square kilometer.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Seattle ~4 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 2.4x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~1,866 years older
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).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Seattle to Zurich is 8,433 km (5,240 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 25m.
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