How Big Is Nairobi?

Kenya · Africa

Area

696 km²

269 mi²

Population

4.7M

Metro: 4.7M

Density

6,796/km²

Founded

1899

Nairobi Size Overview

Nairobi covers an area of 696 km² (269 mi²) in Kenya, Africa. Kenya's capital and East Africa's largest city. The city is often called "The Green City in the Sun". To put this in perspective, Nairobi is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.

With a population of 4.7 million (4.7 million in the metropolitan area), Nairobi has a population density of 6,796 people per km².

Nairobi has a history stretching back to 1899. The city is renowned for Nairobi National Park, Safari tourism, Karen Blixen Museum, and Tech innovation hub ('Silicon Savannah').

Nairobi has a subtropical highland climate, with summer temperatures averaging 20°C and winters around 17°C. The city's main public transit system is the Nairobi Commuter Rail. At 1,661 meters above sea level, Nairobi is one of the higher-elevation major cities.

Did You Know?

  • Nairobi is the only capital city in the world with a national park within its borders — you can see lions with skyscrapers in the background
  • The city sits at 1,661 meters elevation, giving it a pleasant year-round climate despite being near the equator

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Frequently Asked Questions about Nairobi