Madrid to León distance
Madrid and León are 288 km (179 mi) apart in a straight line and 338 km (210 mi) apart by road: about 3 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-6 and the AP-6. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 338 km (210 mi)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 288 km (179 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 | 288 km (179 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 338 km (210 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +17% 1.17 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 88 km/h (55 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 328° (northwest) leaving Madrid toward León |
| Midpoint | 41.5123° N, 4.6173° W near Aldeamayor de San Martín (Valladolid) |
| Halfway by road | Near Rueda (Valladolid) 169 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · León: 830 m (2,723 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · León: 123,446 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to León by road
The fastest driving route is 338 km (210 mi) long and takes about 3 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-6 (195 km), the AP-6 (70.1 km), and the A-66 (53.5 km).
It goes through 2 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (55.6 km) and Castile and León (282 km). That’s an average of 88 km/h (55 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 4 hr 10 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 León are 288 km (179 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 30th for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, León lies to the northwest (bearing 328°), and from León, Madrid lies to the southeast.
Halfway between Madrid and León
Halfway along the straight line, 144 km (89.6 mi) from each city, is the point 41.5123° N, 4.6173° W. It falls near Aldeamayor de San Martín (Valladolid, pop. 6,290), 1.9 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Laguna de Duero (Valladolid, pop. 22,965), 11.6 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 169 km (105 mi) from each city, near Rueda (Valladolid, pop. 1,118), 3.5 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Medina del Campo (Valladolid, pop. 20,215), 9.0 km away. The two midpoints are 32.2 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 León at 830 m (2,723 ft), 185 m (607 ft) higher.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and León 123,446 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to León?
288 km (179 mi) in a straight line and 338 km (210 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-6 and the AP-6).
How long is the drive from Madrid to León?
About 3 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 4 hr 10 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and León?
In a straight line, near Aldeamayor de San Martín (Valladolid). By road, 169 km from each city, near Rueda (Valladolid).
Which city is higher, Madrid or León?
León, at 830 m (2,723 ft); Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft).
Which direction is León from Madrid?
Northwest: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 328° (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 Burgos 213 km straight line · 244 km by road · 2 hr 50 min
- Madrid to Pamplona 316 km straight line · 387 km by road · 4 hr 45 min
- Madrid to Lisbon 505 km straight line · 627 km by road · 6 hr 45 min
- Madrid to Porto 423 km straight line · 555 km by road · 6 hr 20 min
- Madrid to Paris 1,052 km straight line · 1,268 km by road · 13 hr 25 min
- Madrid to Barcelona 506 km straight line · 617 km by road · 6 hr 50 min
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