Is Austin Texas Bigger than Los Angeles?
When comparing city sizes, Austin and Los Angeles are vastly different in terms of both population and geographic area.
Geographic and Population Comparisons
Austin, Texas, is notably smaller both in terms of land area and population compared to Los Angeles, California, despite a growing metropolitan area. Austin covers approximately 326 square miles, while Los Angeles covers about 503 square miles, making Los Angeles larger in terms of land area.
Numerically, when considering population data, as of the most recent estimates in 2023, Los Angeles has a population of around 3.9 million people, significantly larger than Austin's population of about 1 million.
Comparing Greater Austin and Greater Los Angeles Areas
The Greater Austin area, which encompasses a much wider region, has a population of over 2 million people covering about 4,000 square miles. This area is considerably smaller in both population and geographic area when compared to the Greater Los Angeles area.
(Source: Austin, Texas - Wikipedia)
Los Angeles: A Metropolis on a Massive Scale
The Greater Los Angeles area, or the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is an expansive metropolis, covering about 34,000 square miles and having a population of around 18 million people.
This vast area consists of several counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura. The city of Los Angeles itself has a population of about 4 million people, while Bakersfield, a city in the central valley, has a population of just over 350,000.
Geographical Context and Area Comparison
When it comes to urban areas, the geography of Los Angeles is notably different from that of Austin. Many people, even those who live in Los Angeles, often refer to Los Angeles County simply as "L.A." This county alone is incredibly large, with Orange County to the south being geographically small but comprising numerous compact cities and towns.
As a comparison, the city of Bakersfield, while smaller in population (just over 350,000), has greater urban sprawl. Its city limits stretch over 20 miles in each direction, creating a much larger footprint. In contrast, playing "bike ditch" (a form of hide-and-seek on bicycles) in the Los Angeles area might involve crossing over multiple city limits within just a few city blocks.
Greener Pastures and a Comparison of California and Texas
California, with its sprawling metropolises like Los Angeles, presents a different kind of urban landscape compared to Texas. This constellation of cities and regions in California has a more diverse urban and suburban sprawl, while Bakersfield serves as a closer example to the urban spread of Texas.
For a more precise visualization, one can look at Google Earth and filter city boundaries to compare the specific urban areas of Los Angeles and Austin. This comparison will reveal the vast differences in both the areas covered and population sizes.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Greater Austin area is expanding, and indeed has a larger population in its broader metropolitan area, the immediate city of Austin is still notably smaller both in land area and population compared to Los Angeles. Understanding these differences can provide a clearer picture of the urban dynamics of these two major American cities.