Sydney
12,368 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Australia
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Sydney is 140.5x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Sydney has 12.3x more people than Zurich
In terms of area, Sydney is 140.5x the size of Zurich. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 12,280 km². You could fit Zurich inside Sydney approximately 140 times.
To put Sydney's size in perspective, its area of 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
Picture Sydney another way: its area is large enough to fit about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco. For Zurich, that's about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Known as "Sydneysiders", Sydney covers 12,368 km² with a population of 5.3 million. The city was established in 1788. Sydney is known for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. As of the end of 2024, the municipality had a population of 436,551, while the urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), and the Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Zurich has an area of 88 km² and is home to 0.4 million people. Its history stretches back to 15 BC. Visitors come for Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, and much more. Getting around is easy with the ZVV (S-Bahn & Tram).
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and sits at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich in north-central Switzerland.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 9.3x larger than greater Zurich at 1,334 km². The Sydney metro area is also more populous, with 5.3 million people compared to 1.4 million.
Sydney has a population density of 429 people per km² — a low-density, sprawling urban area. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Zurich is dramatically more crowded, with 11.4x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Sydney in Oceania versus Zurich in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Sydney has a humid subtropical climate while Zurich experiences oceanic conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 3:00 AM in Zurich — a 9-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Sydney ~140 times
Density Gap
Zurich is 11.4x more densely populated
Time Difference
9 hours apart
History
Zurich is ~1,803 years older
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
Zurich covers 88 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Copenhagen (91 km²), Lisbon (100 km²), Barcelona (101 km²), Paris (105 km²), or Vancouver (115 km²).
The straight-line distance from Sydney to Zurich is 16,568 km (10,295 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~19h 59m.
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