The true size of New York City vs London
London is roughly 2.01× the area of New York City — a difference of about 788.2 km² (304 sq mi).
USA
New York City
783.8 km² (303 sq mi)
~8.3M people
New York City covers 783.8 km² (302.6 sq mi) across five boroughs on the US Atlantic coast.
United Kingdom
London
1,572 km² (607 sq mi)
~8.9M people
Greater London spans 1,572 km² (607 sq mi) along the River Thames in southeast England.
Why raw area is misleading on a world map
Standard web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches shapes further from the equator. That's why New York City and London can look similar on a map even when one is many times larger. To really feel the difference, you have to overlay one city's outline directly on top of the other at true scale.
Quick facts
- New York City: 783.8 km² · 303 sq mi
- London: 1,572 km² · 607 sq mi
- Ratio: London is 2.01× New York City
- Absolute difference: 788.2 km²