Tehran
730 km²
Zurich
88 km²
Iran
Switzerland
Area Comparison
Tehran is 8.3x larger than Zurich
Population Comparison
Tehran has 21.2x more people than Zurich
Tehran is significantly larger, covering 8.3 times the area of Zurich. Tehran spans 730 km² (282 mi²) while Zurich covers 88 km² (34 mi²) — a difference of 642 km². You could fit Zurich inside Tehran approximately 8 times.
To put Tehran's size in perspective, its area of 730 km² is roughly the same size as New York City. Meanwhile, Zurich at 88 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Paris (city proper).
Picture Tehran another way: its area is large enough to fit about 102,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris. For Zurich, that's about 12,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Vatican City, or 44 times the area of Monaco.
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 covers 730 km² with a population of 9.1 million. The city was established in 1524. Tehran is known for Azadi Tower, Milad Tower, Golestan Palace, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.
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. The city dates 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 Tehran metropolitan area covers 2,235 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Zurich at 1,334 km². The Tehran metro area is also more populous, with 16.0 million people compared to 1.4 million.
Tehran has a population density of 12,507 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Zurich, with 4,886 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Tehran is noticeably denser, packing 2.6 times more people per square kilometer.
This comparison spans continents — Tehran in Asia versus Zurich in Europe. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Tehran has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate while Zurich experiences oceanic conditions. Summers are notably different: Tehran averages 30°C compared to 19°C in Zurich. When it's noon in Tehran, it's 9.5:00 AM in Zurich — a 2.5-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Zurich fits inside Tehran ~8 times
Density Gap
Tehran is 2.6x more densely populated
History
Zurich is ~1,539 years older
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).
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 Tehran to Zurich is 3,741 km (2,324 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 54m.
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