Shanghai
6,341 km²
Tehran
730 km²
China
Iran
Area Comparison
Shanghai is 8.7x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Shanghai has 2.7x more people than Tehran
Shanghai is significantly larger, covering 8.7 times the area of Tehran. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 5,611 km². You could fit Tehran inside Shanghai approximately 8 times.
To put Shanghai's size in perspective, its area of 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro. Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
Shanghai's footprint is roughly about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Tehran, by comparison, equals about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Shanghai is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. It has a population of 29,558,908 in the urban area as of 2025. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River bisecting the city. Shanghai is a global center for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture. The Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.
Known as "Pearl of the Orient", Shanghai covers 6,341 km² with a population of 24.9 million. The city was established in 1291. Shanghai is known for The Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shanghai Metro.
Shanghai's urban population reached 29.5 million in 2025, making it the most populous urban area in all of China.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th-most-populous metropolitan area in the world.
Tehran has an area of 730 km² and is home to 9.1 million people. The city dates back to 1524. Visitors come for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Tehran Metro.
Tehran's metropolitan area holds 16.8 million people, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo.
Looking beyond city limits, the Shanghai metropolitan area covers 6,341 km², which is 2.8x larger than greater Tehran at 2,235 km². The Shanghai metro area is also more populous, with 28.5 million people compared to 16.0 million.
Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Tehran is dramatically more crowded, with 3.2x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Shanghai (China) and Tehran (Iran) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Shanghai, it's 7.5:00 AM in Tehran — a 4.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Shanghai ~8 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 3.2x more densely populated
Time Difference
4.5 hours apart
History
Shanghai is ~233 years older
Shanghai covers 6,341 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Perth (6,417 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), or Dubai (4,114 km²).
Tehran covers 730 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), Hamburg (755 km²), Nairobi (696 km²), or New York (783 km²).
The straight-line distance from Shanghai to Tehran is 6,381 km (3,965 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h.
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