West Palm Beach, Miami, Jacksonville, Tokyo

"West Palm Beach is Larger Than Miami… and Jacksonville is Slightly Larger Than Tokyo?" by v. johns, 8/11/13, 8:48 PM

According to a Google search I did using the phrases “land area West Palm Beach FL” and “land area Miami FL” West Palm Beach is larger in total land area than Miami. With respects to population, Miami trumps West Palm Beach with a 2011 population of 408,750 versus West Palm’s population of 101,043 in the same year. But at 58.2 square miles in land area, West Palm Beach bests Miami’s 35.68 square mile land area, nearly doubling The Magic City in physical size.

For immediate visual comparison, the Google map graphics displayed on this page illustrate the physical boundaries claimed by each municipality. Above: West Palm Beach. Below: Miami. The maps are probably not to scale, but it’s clear to see that West Palm Beach’s westward sprawl takes it into land area territory slightly greater than the more compact city of Miami.

I think it’s interesting to note that places older in existence and smaller in land area seem to be more populous than newer places with larger land areas. Paris and Miami are roughly the same size (at 40.7 and 35.68 sq. mi., respectively) but Paris proper has nearly seven times the people. Land-wise, Jacksonville, Florida (at 885 sq. mi.) is slightly larger in total land area than the largest metropolitan area in the world, Tokyo, Japan  (at 845 sq. mi.)! But while Jacksonville is roughly 173,000 residents shy of a million people, the Tokyo Metropolis weighs in at over 13 million people. Granted, neither one can touch Beijing, China’s 6,487 sq. mile land area with an astounding population of over 20 million people!

No matter where you go, in this world, a place being considered to be “important” or “major” is a matter of perspective. Bigger isn’t always better but room to grow will always be a rather attractive feature for various prospective parties. Should West Palm Beach experience an economic uptick or sharper than usual demand for jobs and housing, at least on the surface, there appears to be a great deal of room to grow. Since I commute to the area quite frequently for work assignments, I can tell you, first hand, that there’s major potential for that area to become a small but booming hub of local, national, and even international, economic activity and growth. Much like it’s neighbor to the south, Miami.

For your entertainment, and mine as well, I have compiled a sectional list of well-known state, national and international locales to compare, with regards to total land area, that includes and begins with key cities here in the Southeast Florida region. For simplicity, population figures have been ignored.

Key Southeast Florida cities and their land areas:

Ft. Lauderdale: 36 sq. mi.
Key West: 7.4 sq. mi.
Miami: 35.68 sq. mi.
Port Saint Lucie: 76.7 sq. mi.
Stuart: 8.5 sq. mi.
Vero Beach: 12.93 sq. mi.
West Palm Beach: 58.2 sq. mi.

Major cities in Florida and their land areas:

Gainesville: 62.39 sq. mi.
Jacksonville: 885 sq. mi.
Orlando: 216.6 sq. mi.
Pensacola: 39.7 sq. mi.
Tallahassee: 103.1 sq. mi.
Tampa: 170.6 sq. mi.

Major U.S. Cities and their land areas:

Anchorage: 1,961 sq. mi.
Atlanta: 132.4 sq. mi.
Birmingham: 103.4 sq. mi.
Boston: 89.63 sq. mi.
Chicago: 234 sq. mi.
Charlotte: 297.7 sq. mi.
Cleveland: 82.47 sq. mi.
Dallas: 385.8 sq. mi.
Detroit: 142.9 sq. mi.
Houston: 627 sq. mi.
Honolulu: 68.42 sq. mi.
Kansas City: 319 sq. mi.
Las Vegas: 135.9 sq. mi.
Los Angeles: 503 sq. mi.
New York: 468 sq. mi.
Philadelphia: 142.6 sq. mi.
Phoenix: 517 sq. mi.
St. Louis: 66.2 sq. mi.
San Francisco: 231.9 sq. mi.
Seattle: 142.5 sq. mi.
Washington, D.C.: 68.3 sq. mi.

Major world cities and their land areas:

Beijing: 6,487 sq. mi.
Hong Kong: 426 sq. mi.
Istanbul: 2063 sq. mi.
Jerusalem: 48.3 sq. mi.
Johannesburg: 635 sq. mi.
Lagos: 385.9 sq. mi.
London: 606 sq. mi.
Mexico City: 573 sq. mi.
Moscow: 969 sq. mi.
Paris: 40.7 sq. mi.
Rio De Janeiro: 486 sq. mi.
Rome: 496 sq. mi.
Tokyo: 845 sq. mi.
Toronto: 243.2 sq. mi.

Information compiled using Google Search. Actual sources may vary.
Map data: © 2013 Google.
Article: © 2013 www.lostparadisejournl.blogspot.com.