Barcelona to Zaragoza distance
Barcelona and Zaragoza are 257 km (160 mi) apart in a straight line and 311 km (193 mi) apart by road: about 3 hr 30 min of driving without stops, mostly on the AP-2 and the AP-7. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 311 km (193 mi)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Straight line
- 257 km (160 mi)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on October 31, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 257 km (160 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 311 km (193 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 30 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +21% 1.21 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 278° (west) leaving Barcelona toward Zaragoza |
| Midpoint | 41.5294° N, 0.6533° E near Alfés (Lleida) |
| Halfway by road | Near Castelldans (Lleida) 155 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Barcelona: 13 m (43 ft) · Zaragoza: 210 m (689 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Barcelona: 1,731,649 · Zaragoza: 693,091 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Barcelona to Zaragoza by road
The fastest driving route is 311 km (193 mi) long and takes about 3 hr 30 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the AP-2 (214 km), the AP-7 (48.8 km), and the A-2 (18.5 km).
It goes through 2 autonomous communities: Catalonia (188 km) and Aragon (123 km). That’s an average of 90 km/h (56 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 50 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Barcelona and Zaragoza are 257 km (160 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 21% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 121. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 40 Spanish pairs in this series, it ranks 22nd for detour (the average is 24%).
From Barcelona, Zaragoza lies to the west (bearing 278°), and from Zaragoza, Barcelona lies to the east. The straight line reaches Zaragoza on a bearing of 276°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Barcelona and Zaragoza
Halfway along the straight line, 128 km (79.8 mi) from each city, is the point 41.5294° N, 0.6533° E. It falls near Alfés (Lleida, pop. 284), 3.0 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Lleida (pop. 146,266), 9.7 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 155 km (96.6 mi) from each city, near Castelldans (Lleida, pop. 952), 1.8 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Lleida (pop. 146,266), 15.7 km away. The two midpoints almost coincide (8.5 km apart), because the road doesn’t stray far from the straight line.
By plane
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Barcelona sits at 13 m (43 ft) and Zaragoza at 210 m (689 ft), 197 m (646 ft) higher.
Barcelona has 1.7 million people and Zaragoza 693,091 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Barcelona to Zaragoza?
257 km (160 mi) in a straight line and 311 km (193 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the AP-2 and the AP-7).
How long is the drive from Barcelona to Zaragoza?
About 3 hr 30 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between Barcelona and Zaragoza?
In a straight line, near Alfés (Lleida). By road, 155 km from each city, near Castelldans (Lleida).
Which city is higher, Barcelona or Zaragoza?
Zaragoza, at 210 m (689 ft); Barcelona sits at 13 m (43 ft).
Which direction is Zaragoza from Barcelona?
West: the straight line leaves Barcelona on a bearing of 278° (0° is north and 90° is east).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
More distances from Barcelona
All distances- Barcelona to Bilbao 469 km straight line · 610 km by road · 6 hr 40 min
- Barcelona to Girona 85.8 km straight line · 103 km by road · 1 hr 20 min
- Barcelona to Tarragona 82.8 km straight line · 96.8 km by road · 1 hr 20 min
- Barcelona to Seville 831 km straight line · 997 km by road · 11 hr 5 min
- Barcelona to Paris 830 km straight line · 1,036 km by road · 10 hr 50 min
- Barcelona to Andorra la Vella 136 km straight line · 199 km by road · 2 hr 45 min
More distances from Zaragoza
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on October 31, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- Location and elevation of Spanish cities (gazetteer and DEM) · Instituto Geográfico Nacional (CC BY 4.0)
- Population register, January 1, 2025 · INE (Spain)
- Places near the midpoints: Mapsfera gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · Mapsfera
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology