Madrid to Santander distance
Madrid and Santander are 338 km (210 mi) apart in a straight line and 395 km (245 mi) apart by road: about 4 hr 55 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-1 and the N-623. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 395 km (245 mi)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 55 min
- Straight line
- 338 km (210 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 | 338 km (210 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 395 km (245 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 55 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +17% 1.17 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 358° (north) leaving Madrid toward Santander |
| Midpoint | 41.9409° N, 3.7496° W in Fontioso (Burgos) |
| Halfway by road | Near Quintanilla de la Mata (Burgos) 197 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Santander: 5 m (16 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Santander: 175,425 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Santander by road
The fastest driving route is 395 km (245 mi) long and takes about 4 hr 55 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-1 (227 km) and the N-623 (127 km).
It goes through 3 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (97.1 km), Castile and León (237 km), and Cantabria (60.4 km). That’s an average of 80 km/h (50 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 35 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 Santander are 338 km (210 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 33rd for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Santander lies to the north (bearing 358°), and from Santander, Madrid lies to the south.
Halfway between Madrid and Santander
Halfway along the straight line, 169 km (105 mi) from each city, is the point 41.9409° N, 3.7496° W. It falls in Fontioso (Burgos, pop. 52). The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Aranda de Duero (Burgos, pop. 33,956), 30.5 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 197 km (123 mi) from each city, near Quintanilla de la Mata (Burgos, pop. 109), 1.5 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Aranda de Duero (Burgos, pop. 33,956), 34.8 km away. The two midpoints almost coincide (4.5 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
Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft) and Santander at 5 m (16 ft), 640 m (2,100 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Santander 175,425 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Santander?
338 km (210 mi) in a straight line and 395 km (245 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-1 and the N-623).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Santander?
About 4 hr 55 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 35 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Santander?
In a straight line, in Fontioso (Burgos). By road, 197 km from each city, near Quintanilla de la Mata (Burgos).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Santander?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Santander sits at 5 m (16 ft).
Which direction is Santander from Madrid?
North: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 358° (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 San Sebastián 352 km straight line · 452 km by road · 5 hr 5 min
- Madrid to Oviedo 372 km straight line · 450 km by road · 5 hr 5 min
- Madrid to Santiago de Compostela 488 km straight line · 593 km by road · 6 hr 40 min
- Madrid to Segovia 69.4 km straight line · 97.2 km by road · 1 hr 20 min
- Madrid to Cádiz 488 km straight line · 651 km by road · 7 hr 10 min
- Madrid to Badajoz 329 km straight line · 402 km by road · 4 hr 25 min
More distances from Santander
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