City Map Compare/Shenzhen vs Vancouver
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Shenzhen

1,997 km²

Vancouver

115 km²

Shenzhen vs Vancouver - City Size Comparison

Shenzhen vs Vancouver - City Size Comparison

Shenzhen

China

Area1,997 km²
Population17.56M
Density8,793 /km²
Elevation35 m
Metro Pop.17.6M
Founded1979
Climatehumid subtropical
Vancouver

Canada

Area115 km²
Population0.66M
Density5,739 /km²
Elevation2 m
Founded1886
ClimateMarine west coast climate

Area Comparison

Shenzhen is 17.4x larger than Vancouver

Population Comparison

Shenzhen has 26.6x more people than Vancouver

Is Shenzhen Bigger Than Vancouver?

Yes — Shenzhen is 17.4x larger than Vancouver by area. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Vancouver covers 115 km² (44 mi²) — a difference of 1,882 km². You could fit Vancouver inside Shenzhen approximately 17 times.

To put Shenzhen's size in perspective, its area of 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Vancouver at 115 km² is roughly the same size as San Francisco.

Shenzhen's footprint is roughly about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Vancouver, that's about 16,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Monaco, or 34 times the area of Central Park.

About Shenzhen

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

About Vancouver

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.

Nicknamed "Hollywood North", Vancouver has an area of 115 km² and is home to 0.7 million people. It was established in 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.

Population Density

Shenzhen has a population density of 8,793 people per km² — a densely populated city. Vancouver, with 5,739 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is noticeably denser, packing 1.5 times more people per square kilometer.

Climate & Time Zone

Shenzhen has a humid subtropical climate while Vancouver experiences Marine west coast climate conditions.

Key Differences at a Glance

Size Ratio

Vancouver fits inside Shenzhen ~17 times

Density Gap

Shenzhen is 1.5x more densely populated

Cities Similar in Size to Shenzhen

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).

Cities Similar in Size to Vancouver

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).

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shenzhen actually bigger than Vancouver?
Shenzhen is 17.4 times larger than Vancouver by area. Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² while Vancouver spans 115 km², a difference of 1,882 km².
How many times does Vancouver fit inside Shenzhen?
Vancouver (115 km²) fits inside Shenzhen (1,997 km²) approximately 17 times. That means Shenzhen is 17.4x the area of Vancouver.
What is the population difference between Shenzhen and Vancouver?
Shenzhen has approximately 17.6 million people, while Vancouver has about 0.7 million. Shenzhen has 16.9 million more residents.
Which city is more densely populated, Shenzhen or Vancouver?
Shenzhen is more densely populated with 8,793 people per km², compared to 5,739 people per km².
Which city is older, Shenzhen or Vancouver?
Vancouver is older, founded around 1886, while Shenzhen was established around 1979 — a difference of about 93 years.
How does the map comparison work?
Our synchronized map comparison tool displays both cities at the same zoom level. When you zoom in or out on one map, the other automatically adjusts to maintain the same scale, allowing you to directly compare the relative sizes of both cities.
Can I compare other cities?
Yes! Use the city selectors at the top of the page to choose any two cities from our database of 50+ major cities worldwide, or enter custom coordinates for any location.

Distance Between Shenzhen and Vancouver

The straight-line distance from Shenzhen to Vancouver is 10,239 km (6,362 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~12h 33m.

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