Madrid to Alicante distance
Madrid and Alicante are 360 km (224 mi) apart in a straight line and 420 km (261 mi) apart by road: about 4 hr 35 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-31 and the A-3. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 420 km (261 mi)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 35 min
- Straight line
- 360 km (224 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 | 360 km (224 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 420 km (261 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 35 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +17% 1.17 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 92 km/h (57 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 129° (southeast) leaving Madrid toward Alicante |
| Midpoint | 39.3933° N, 2.0629° W near Casasimarro (Cuenca) |
| Halfway by road | Near La Roda (Albacete) 210 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Alicante: 5 m (16 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Alicante: 366,221 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Alicante by road
The fastest driving route is 420 km (261 mi) long and takes about 4 hr 35 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-31 (239 km) and the A-3 (173 km).
It goes through 3 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (71.7 km), Castilla–La Mancha (277 km), and the Valencian Community (71.0 km). That’s an average of 92 km/h (57 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr 15 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, Madrid and Alicante are 360 km (224 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 17% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 117. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 40 Spanish pairs in this series, it ranks 32nd for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Alicante lies to the southeast (bearing 129°), and from Alicante, Madrid lies to the northwest. The straight line reaches Alicante on a bearing of 131°: 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 Madrid and Alicante
Halfway along the straight line, 180 km (112 mi) from each city, is the point 39.3933° N, 2.0629° W. It falls near Casasimarro (Cuenca, pop. 3,177), 2.0 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Albacete (pop. 175,400), 47.6 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 210 km (130 mi) from each city, near La Roda (Albacete, pop. 15,643), 5.6 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Villarrobledo (Albacete, pop. 25,400), 34.9 km away. The two midpoints are 20.3 km apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
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
Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft) and Alicante at 5 m (16 ft), 640 m (2,100 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Alicante 366,221 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Alicante?
360 km (224 mi) in a straight line and 420 km (261 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-31 and the A-3).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Alicante?
About 4 hr 35 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 15 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Alicante?
In a straight line, near Casasimarro (Cuenca). By road, 210 km from each city, near La Roda (Albacete).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Alicante?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Alicante sits at 5 m (16 ft).
Which direction is Alicante from Madrid?
Southeast: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 129° (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 Madrid
All distances- Madrid to A Coruña 510 km straight line · 593 km by road · 6 hr 30 min
- Madrid to Granada 360 km straight line · 420 km by road · 4 hr 45 min
- Madrid to Salamanca 177 km straight line · 216 km by road · 2 hr 35 min
- Madrid to Toledo 68.6 km straight line · 74.7 km by road · 1 hr
- Madrid to Valladolid 162 km straight line · 190 km by road · 2 hr 30 min
- Madrid to Córdoba 296 km straight line · 394 km by road · 4 hr 30 min
More distances from Alicante
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