Shanghai
6,341 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
China
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Shanghai is 1.6x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Shanghai has 1.9x more people than Xi'an
Xi'an is significantly larger, covering 1.6 times the area of Shanghai. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Shanghai covers 6,341 km² (2,448 mi²) — a difference of 3,756 km².
To put Shanghai's size in perspective, its area of 6,341 km² is about 1.5x the size of Los Angeles metro. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
In more relatable units, Shanghai's 6,341 km² is about 888,000 American football fields, 110 times the area of Manhattan, or 60 times the area of Paris. For Xi'an, that's about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Often called "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Shanghai has a population density of 3,922 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Shanghai is dramatically more crowded, with 3.1x the population density.
Density Gap
Shanghai is 3.1x more densely populated
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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
The straight-line distance from Shanghai to Xi'an is 1,219 km (757 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 56m.
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