Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Tehran
730 km²
China
Iran
Area Comparison
Shenzhen is 2.7x larger than Tehran
Population Comparison
Shenzhen has 1.9x more people than Tehran
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 2.7x the size of Tehran. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Tehran covers 730 km² (282 mi²) — a difference of 1,267 km². You could fit Tehran inside Shenzhen approximately 2 times.
To put Shenzhen's size in perspective, its area of 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Tehran at 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City.
In more relatable units, Shenzhen's 1,997 km² is about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris. Tehran works out to about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² with a population of 17.6 million. The city was established in 1979. Shenzhen is known for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
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. It was established in 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 Tehran metropolitan area covers 2,235 km², which is 1.1x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 16.0 million.
Shenzhen has a population density of 8,793 people per km² — a densely populated city. Tehran, with 12,507 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Both cities have comparable density, though Tehran is slightly more compact.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Shenzhen (China) and Tehran (Iran) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Shenzhen has a humid subtropical climate while Tehran experiences hot-summer Mediterranean conditions. When it's noon in Shenzhen, it's 7.5:00 AM in Tehran — a 4.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Tehran fits inside Shenzhen ~2 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 1.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
4.5 hours apart
History
Tehran is ~455 years older
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 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 Shenzhen to Tehran is 6,158 km (3,827 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 45m.
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