Distance Between Two Cities (with Map)

Pick two cities to get the straight-line distance in kilometres, miles and nautical miles, the compass direction, a rough direct flight time, and the shortest route drawn on a world map.

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Straight line, road and flight distance

The number at the top is the great-circle distance: the shortest path over the surface of the Earth between the two city centres, the way a plane would fly if nothing was in the way. On the flat map it looks like a curve, because the map stretches the globe; on a globe it is a straight line.

Driving distance is always longer. Roads bend around mountains, seas and borders, so expect 20 to 40 percent more on a normal trip, and much more where you have to go around water (Jeddah to Cairo, for example). For driving, use a route planner; for comparing places, shipping and flights, the straight-line number is the one people quote.

How the flight time is estimated

A jet cruises at roughly 800 to 900 km/h, and every flight spends about half an hour taxiing, climbing and landing. The tool adds 30 minutes to the distance divided by 800 km/h. It is a guide for planning, not a timetable: winds can add or save an hour on long routes, and many flights are not direct.

Distances people often ask about

RouteStraight line
Riyadh to Jeddahabout 850 km
Riyadh to Dubaiabout 860 km
Riyadh to Karachiabout 2,040 km
Jeddah to Makkahabout 63 km
Dubai to Londonabout 5,470 km

Pick the cities in the tool for the exact figure, the direction and the map.

Where the data comes from

City positions come from Natural Earth (public domain) through the city-timezones list, and the map outline is Natural Earth 1:110m land. The distance uses the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius of 6,371 km, which is within about 0.5% of the exact ellipsoid figure.

FAQ

How far is Riyadh from Jeddah?
About 850 km in a straight line. By road it is roughly 950 km, around 9 to 10 hours of driving.
How far is Saudi Arabia from Pakistan?
Riyadh to Karachi is about 2,040 km in a straight line, roughly a 3 hour direct flight. Jeddah to Lahore is about 3,650 km.
Why does the route look curved on the map?
The shortest path on a globe looks curved on a flat map. The dashed line is the real shortest route.
Can I get driving distance here?
No, this tool gives the straight-line distance. Road distance is usually 20 to 40% longer.
Is anything sent to a server?
No. The calculation and the map are done in your browser.

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