Shanghai
6,341 km²
Vancouver
115 km²
China
Canada
Area Comparison
Shanghai is 55.1x larger than Vancouver
Population Comparison
Shanghai has 37.7x more people than Vancouver
In terms of area, Shanghai is 55.1x the size of Vancouver. Shanghai spans 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) while Vancouver covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 6,226 km². You could fit Vancouver inside Shanghai approximately 55 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, Vancouver at 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco.
Picture Shanghai another way: its area is large enough to fit about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris. Vancouver works out to about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 times the area of Central Park.
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.
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.
Often called "Hollywood North", Vancouver has an area of 115 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. The city dates back to 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.
Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Vancouver, with 5,739 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Vancouver is slightly more compact.
Shanghai has a humid subtropical climate while Vancouver experiences Marine west coast climate conditions.
Size Ratio
Vancouver fits inside Shanghai ~55 times
Density Gap
Vancouver is 1.5x more densely populated
History
Shanghai is ~595 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).
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 Shanghai to Vancouver is 9,027 km (5,609 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~11h 7m.
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