Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital of Argentina, often sparks curiosity about its size when juxtaposed with other famous cities worldwide. Many descriptions romanticize it as the “Paris of the South,” while areas like Puerto Madero are sometimes likened to Manhattan, especially by those unfamiliar with New York City’s vastness. The green spaces of Palermo might remind visitors of Central Park. Intrigued by these comparisons, we decided to delve deeper into the geographical size of Buenos Aires and see how it truly measures up against other major urban centers. We know Buenos Aires covers approximately 80 square miles and is home to just under 3 million people. But to truly grasp its scale, let’s visually compare it to cities like London, Paris, and New York, cities that offer familiar points of reference for many.
Visual comparison of London and Buenos Aires city sizes, showing Buenos Aires overlaid on a map of central London to illustrate their geographical scale difference.
Looking at London, the map above clearly illustrates a significant difference in scale. The outline of Buenos Aires, when placed over a map of London at the same scale, reveals that Buenos Aires, specifically Capital Federal, is considerably smaller than Greater London. To give you a sense of location, if you were to place Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires at London Bridge, Plaza Dorrego would be near Waterloo, Caminito in Peckham, and Plaza Italia would reach beyond Regent’s Park, close to Primrose Hill. Congreso de Tucuman would be situated further out in areas like Hendon. This comparison highlights that while central London is dense and bustling, the urban sprawl of Greater London encompasses a much larger area than the core of Buenos Aires.
Paris versus Buenos Aires size comparison, demonstrating how the city of Paris proper fits within the boundaries of Buenos Aires, emphasizing the larger geographical area of the Argentinian capital.
When we compare Buenos Aires to Paris, the contrast in city sizes becomes even more pronounced. As the image shows, the Périphérique, Paris’s ring road, fits comfortably within the boundaries of Capital Federal. Traveling from Recoleta to Mataderos in Buenos Aires, you would traverse the entire comparable area of Paris. While Paris is celebrated for its architectural beauty and density, Buenos Aires sprawls across a significantly larger area, offering a different sense of space and urban landscape. The architectural influences might be comparable in style in certain districts, but Buenos Aires offers a more expansive urban experience geographically.
A size comparison of New York City and Buenos Aires, illustrating their relative geographical dimensions, showing the five boroughs of NYC dwarfing the Capital Federal of Buenos Aires.
Moving across the Atlantic to New York City, the size comparison shifts again. Here, the scale appears more aligned, but with a notable difference. The five boroughs of New York City, encompassing Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island, are considerably larger than Capital Federal. In this visual overlay, Mataderos in Buenos Aires aligns with Governor’s Island, while Plaza de Mayo reaches up towards Jackson Heights and La Guardia Airport in New York. This comparison reveals that while Buenos Aires is a large city, New York City, particularly its five boroughs, covers a significantly more extensive urban area.
Geographical size comparison between San Francisco and Buenos Aires, showing San Francisco fitting within Buenos Aires, highlighting the larger urban footprint of the Argentinian city.
Comparing Buenos Aires to San Francisco, we see San Francisco fitting neatly within the Argentine capital. If Recoleta is considered downtown Buenos Aires, then Congreso de Tucuman would be located across the Golden Gate Bridge in this comparison. Reaching the market at Liniers from Recoleta would be equivalent to needing a boat trip from downtown San Francisco in this geographical analogy. This illustrates that San Francisco, while geographically constrained by water and hills, occupies a smaller footprint compared to the sprawling layout of Buenos Aires.
Size comparison of Geneva and Buenos Aires, emphasizing the vast difference in area, with Geneva appearing as a small fraction of Buenos Aires’s urban expanse.
Finally, when we look at Geneva, the contrast is starkest. Geneva, a city known for its international importance and lakeside setting, is dwarfed by Buenos Aires. The city of Geneva is approximately one-tenth the size of Buenos Aires. In this overlay, both Caminito and the end of the D subway line in Buenos Aires fall within France, on either side of the town where the celebrated Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges is buried. This comparison underscores the sheer scale of Buenos Aires compared to a smaller, albeit significant, European city like Geneva.
These visual comparisons, while not perfectly precise maps, offer a fun and insightful way to understand the relative sizes of global cities. They help to contextualize the distances within Buenos Aires and provide a clearer perspective on its urban scale in relation to other well-known metropolitan areas. Stay tuned as we continue to add more city comparisons to further illustrate the geographical dimensions of Buenos Aires.
Rome compared to Buenos Aires size, showing Rome fitting within Buenos Aires, highlighting the expansive nature of the Argentinian city relative to the Italian capital.
Sydney versus Buenos Aires size, illustrating Sydney’s urban area relative to Buenos Aires, showing a considerable overlap but also areas where Buenos Aires extends beyond.
UPDATE:
As per request, we’ve added a comparison with Los Angeles, known for its urban sprawl:
Los Angeles compared to Buenos Aires size, revealing Los Angeles as significantly larger, dwarfing Buenos Aires and emphasizing the sprawling urban layout of LA.
And for a more whimsical comparison, Stockport (UK) as Plaza Once:
Stockport versus Buenos Aires size, a playful comparison showing the smaller town of Stockport overlaid on Buenos Aires’s Plaza Once, highlighting the density of the urban Argentinian area.
