Distance Between Cities (Flight Distance)
Pick two cities anywhere in the world to get the city-to-city flight distance along the great circle in miles and kilometers, with an estimated flight time and the time zone difference between them.
Ready to Calculate City Flight Distance
Select two cities worldwide or choose a popular international city pair below to measure ellipsoidal flight distance.
New York, USA
London, UK
Curved arc represents shortest flight path on the globe.WGS84 Great-Circle Geodesic Arc
How to use the city distance calculator
- 1Pick two cities
Search any two cities in the world, or choose a popular city pair.
- 2Measure the great-circle route
The flight distance is computed along the shortest path on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
- 3Read distance, flight time and time gap
See miles and km, an estimated flight time and the time zone difference between the cities.
Where the Distance Between Cities Is Measured From
When determining the distance between two metropolitan cities, the fundamental question is: what specific point marks the city? Standard navigation databases use the coordinates of historical city halls, central zero-mile markers (such as the Zero Milestone on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C.), or the central post office.
Open Map Lab ties city queries to precise gazetteer coordinates verified by the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Calculations compute both the geodesic point-to-point air separation and the practical transport corridor length.
Flight Distance vs. Driving Distance vs. Train
The variance between different transportation modes reflects terrain, history, and engineering limitations:
- Great-Circle Air Distance: Represents theoretical minimum displacement. Commercial airline navigation routes add 3% to 7% due to terminal airspace holding patterns, departure vectors, and jet stream optimization.
- Highway / Driving Mileage: Constrained by geographic relief (mountains, lakes, rivers) and highway network design. Most interstate routes add 12% to 28% compared to direct flight paths.
- Rail Trajectories: Passenger rail often adheres to river valleys and gentle grades (typically under 2% slope), producing routes that can be longer than highway routes in mountainous sectors, but straighter across open flatlands.
Why Distances Between Large Cities Can Vary
Metropolitan areas have expanded dramatically over recent decades. An intercity measurement between Los Angeles and Phoenix measures approximately 372 miles center-to-center. However, traveling from the eastern boundary of San Bernardino (in greater LA) to the western fringe of Goodyear (in metropolitan Phoenix) is less than 315 miles.
Conversely, traveling from northwest Los Angeles (Santa Clarita) to the far east of the Phoenix metro area (Apache Junction) exceeds 430 miles. For commute planning or commercial freight, accounting for municipal versus metropolitan boundaries is essential.
How the Distance Between Cities Is Calculated
Here is the step-by-step geodetic solution for New York City Hall to Los Angeles City Hall:
cos(Δσ) = sin(φ₁)sin(φ₂) + cos(φ₁)cos(φ₂)cos(Δλ)- sin(φ₁) · sin(φ₂) = sin(40.7128°) · sin(34.0537°) = 0.65226 · 0.56000 = 0.36527
- cos(φ₁) · cos(φ₂) · cos(Δλ) = 0.75799 · 0.82849 · cos(44.2367°) = 0.62799 · 0.71649 = 0.45000
- cos(Δσ) = 0.36527 + 0.45000 = 0.81527
- Δσ = arccos(0.81527) = 0.61793 radians (35.405°)
- Distance = 3,958.761 miles × 0.61793 rad = 2,446.25 statute miles
Direct geodesic distance between downtown municipal halls. Driving via I-80 W to I-76 to I-70 to I-15 is approximately 2,776 miles, yielding a circuity factor of 1.135.
Distances Between Major U.S. Cities (Table)
Comparative transit metrics across the most frequently traveled domestic origin-destination pairs:
Major U.S. City Pairs — Distance and Average Travel Time
Data verified with FAA flight schedule averages and highway DOT network distances.
| City Corridor | Air Distance | Driving Route | Driving Time | Flight Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY ↔ Los Angeles, CA | 2,446 mi | 2,776 mi (I-80 / I-15) | 41h 00m | 5h 45m |
| Chicago, IL ↔ Houston, TX | 940 mi | 1,082 mi (I-55 / I-57) | 16h 15m | 2h 45m |
| Seattle, WA ↔ Miami, FL | 2,724 mi | 3,298 mi (I-90 / I-75) | 48h 30m | 5h 55m |
| Atlanta, GA ↔ Boston, MA | 946 mi | 1,073 mi (I-85 / I-95) | 17h 20m | 2h 30m |
| San Francisco, CA ↔ Denver, CO | 948 mi | 1,250 mi (I-80 E) | 18h 40m | 2h 30m |
| Dallas, TX ↔ Phoenix, AZ | 881 mi | 1,065 mi (I-20 / I-10) | 15h 50m | 2h 25m |
Accuracy and Limitations
When executing route planning or logistics scheduling, keep the following real-world variables in mind:
- Airport Proximity: Major airport hubs (e.g., Denver International, Dallas/Fort Worth) are often 20 to 30 miles outside downtown central cores, adding terminal transit time.
- Congestion Variations: Urban bottlenecks can double driving duration during peak morning and evening rush hours without increasing physical distance.
- Terrain Elevation Penalties: Driving in mountainous corridors consumes significantly more fuel per mile than equivalent distances on level interstate highways.
- Cargo & Commercial Route Restrictions: Heavy commercial freight cannot use certain expressways or parkways, necessitating longer bypass routes.
Complementary Geographic Tools
Find halfway points between your selected cities with the Halfway Point Finder or evaluate time zone offsets with the Time Difference Calculator.
Quick facts about the city distance calculator
| Fact | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation Model | Karney WGS84 Geodesic Arc | Exact flight path distance |
| Flight Speed Metric | 500 mph (805 km/h) | Commercial jet cruise average |
| Road Comparison | Estimated Highway Distance | Empirical circuity factor |
Edge cases and exceptions
Jet Stream Wind Variations
Flight durations are calculated based on still-air cruise speeds. Real flights east across the North Atlantic or Pacific benefit from tailwinds.
The city distance calculator: worked examples
London to New York Flight Distance
Scenario: Calculating transatlantic route between London and NYC.
Outcome: Flight distance is 3,456 miles (5,562 km) with an estimated flight duration of 7 hours 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions about the city distance calculator
How is flight distance between cities calculated?
It is computed as the shortest great-circle arc along Earth's curved surface between city center coordinates.
How long does a flight take for a given distance?
A rough rule is distance divided by 500 mph for jets, plus about 30 to 45 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The tool gives an estimate.
Why is the distance between cities not exactly what airlines list?
Airlines publish route or scheduled flight distances. They add departure and arrival procedures and winds.
What is the distance from New York to London?
About 3,460 miles (5,570 km) in a straight great-circle line.
What is the distance from Sydney to Los Angeles?
About 7,490 miles (12,050 km), one of the longest regular airline routes.
Do I get the time difference too?
Yes. The result shows the time zone offset between the two cities to help plan arrival and jet lag.
What coordinates does the tool use for each city?
It uses the city's geographic center point from the map search, not an airport. For airport-to-airport distance, search each airport by name.
Can I compare more than two cities?
Use the distance matrix tool for all pairwise distances between up to dozens of cities.
Does it work for small towns?
Yes. Any place the map search can find can be used, including towns, landmarks and addresses.
Does the tool give driving distance between cities?
No. It gives great-circle (flight) distance. Road distance is typically 15 to 30 percent longer; see the guide on straight-line versus driving distance.
Keep exploring
What to do with this result
- Distance Between Two Places (Address to Address)Use this to measure the distance between two addresses.
- Bearing Calculator — Forward Azimuth & Compass HeadingUse this to calculate a compass bearing.
- Time Difference Calculator Between CitiesUse this to calculate the time difference between cities.
- Halfway Point Between Two PlacesUse this to find the halfway point between two places.
- Distance Matrix Calculator (Pairwise Distance Table)Use this to build a distance matrix.