London to Paris distance
London and Paris are 214 miles (344 km) apart in a straight line and 294 miles (473 km) apart by road: about 5 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A1 and the A26. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the time difference and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 294 mi (473 km)
- Driving time
- 5 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 214 mi (344 km)
- 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 | 214 mi (344 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 294 mi (473 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 5 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +38% 1.38 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 50 mph (81 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 148° (southeast) leaving London toward Paris |
| Midpoint | 50.1877° N, 1.1459° E near Le Tréport (Seine-Maritime, France) |
| Halfway by road | Near Mametz (Pas-de-Calais, France) 147 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | 1 hour ahead Paris compared with London |
| Population | London: 8,961,989 · Paris: 2,138,551 GeoNames |
London to Paris by road
The fastest driving route is 294 miles (473 km) long and takes about 5 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. It includes the Channel crossing on Le Shuttle, the train that carries cars through the tunnel between Folkestone and Calais: 36.8 mi (59.2 km) and about 35 min in the calculation, not counting check-in. It runs mostly on the A1 (106 mi), the A26 (64.7 mi), and the M20 (30.2 mi).
Of the 294 mi, 80.7 mi are in the United Kingdom and 190 mi are in France. That’s an average of 50 mph (81 km/h). A break every two hours is the usual advice: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 6 hr 30 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, London and Paris are 214 miles (344 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 38% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 138. That’s a big detour: the fastest route strays quite far from the straight line. Of the 10 cross-border pairs in this series, it ranks 4th for detour (the average is 31%).
From London, Paris lies to the southeast (bearing 148°), and from Paris, London lies to the northwest.
Halfway between London and Paris
Halfway along the straight line, 107 miles (172 km) from each city, is the point 50.1877° N, 1.1459° E. It falls in the water; the closest place is Le Tréport (Seine-Maritime, France, pop. 6,062), 13.5 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Dieppe (Seine-Maritime, France, pop. 35,707), 18.6 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 147 miles (237 km) from each city, near Mametz (Pas-de-Calais, France, pop. 1,779), 1.2 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Hazebrouck (North, France, pop. 23,307), 12.3 mi away. The two midpoints are 59.5 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time difference and flight
Paris is 1 hour ahead of London all year (Central European Time versus United Kingdom Time): when it’s 12:00 in London, it’s 13:00 in Paris.
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
London has 9.0 million people and Paris 2.1 million people (GeoNames).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from London to Paris?
214 miles (344 km) in a straight line and 294 miles (473 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A1 and the A26).
How long is the drive from London to Paris?
About 5 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 6 hr 30 min.
Where is the halfway point between London and Paris?
In a straight line, in the water, near Le Tréport (Seine-Maritime, France). By road, 147 mi from each city, near Mametz (Pas-de-Calais, France).
What’s the time difference between London and Paris?
Paris is 1 hour ahead of London all year: when it’s 12:00 in London, it’s 13:00 in Paris.
Which direction is Paris from London?
Southeast: the straight line leaves London on a bearing of 148° (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 Paris
All distancesSources
- 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 population of cities outside Spain and the US · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
- 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