The true size of New York City vs Tokyo
Tokyo is roughly 2.80× the area of New York City — a difference of about 1,410.2 km² (544 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.
Japan
Tokyo
2,194 km² (847 sq mi)
~13.9M people
Tokyo Metropolis covers 2,194 km² (847 sq mi), stretching from Tokyo Bay into forested mountains.
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 Tokyo 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
- Tokyo: 2,194 km² · 847 sq mi
- Ratio: Tokyo is 2.80× New York City
- Absolute difference: 1,410.2 km²