Mexico City vs New York City — true size compared
Mexico City is about 1.89× the area of New York City — a difference of roughly 701.2 km² (271 sq mi). You could fit New York City inside Mexico City about 1 time.
Mexico City occupies 1,485 km² (573 sq mi) in a high-altitude valley in central Mexico.
New York City covers 783.8 km² (302.6 sq mi) across five boroughs on the US Atlantic coast.
Overlay Mexico City and New York City on the map →
Why maps make Mexico City and New York City look wrong
Almost every web map — Google Maps, Apple Maps, OpenStreetMap — uses the Mercator projection. Mercator preserves shape locally, but it stretches land the further you get from the equator. Greenland ends up looking bigger than Africa. Alaska rivals the contiguous US. That's why Mexico City and New York City can look similar on a world map even when one is many times larger. The only fair way to compare is to lift one outline off the map and drop it on top of the other at true scale.
Quick facts
- Mexico City: 1,485 km² · 573 sq mi
- New York City: 783.8 km² · 303 sq mi
- Ratio: Mexico City is 1.89× New York City
- Absolute difference: 701.2 km² (271 sq mi)
- New York City fits inside Mexico City ~1 time
Frequently asked
Is Mexico City bigger than New York City?
Mexico City is the bigger of the two, at 1,485 km² compared to 783.8 km² for New York City.
How many times does New York City fit inside Mexico City?
About 1 time — the exact ratio is 1.89×.
Why does the map exaggerate one of them?
Mercator projection. Places far from the equator get visually stretched. Overlay the two at true scale to see the honest comparison.