How Big Is Rio de Janeiro?

Brazil · South America

Area

1,221 km²

471 mi²

Population

6.8M

Metro: 13.5M

Density

5,528/km²

Founded

1565

Rio de Janeiro Size Overview

Rio de Janeiro covers an area of 1,221 km² (471 mi²) in Brazil, South America. Brazil's iconic coastal city known for Carnival. The city is often called "The Marvelous City". To put this in perspective, Rio de Janeiro is about 1.3x smaller than London.

With a population of 6.8 million (13.5 million in the metropolitan area), Rio de Janeiro has a population density of 5,528 people per km². The greater Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area extends to 6,744 km².

Rio de Janeiro has a history stretching back to 1565. The city is renowned for Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana Beach, Carnival, and Sugarloaf Mountain.

Rio de Janeiro has a tropical savanna climate, with summer temperatures averaging 27°C and winters around 21°C. The city's main public transit system is the MetrôRio.

Did You Know?

  • Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue is struck by lightning an average of 6 times per year
  • The city was Brazil's capital for nearly 200 years before Brasília was built

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Rio de Janeiro vs Buenos Aires

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Frequently Asked Questions about Rio de Janeiro