Madrid to Santiago de Compostela distance
Madrid and Santiago de Compostela are 488 km (303 mi) apart in a straight line and 593 km (369 mi) apart by road: about 6 hr 40 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
- 593 km (369 mi)
- Driving time
- 6 hr 40 min
- Straight line
- 488 km (303 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 | 488 km (303 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 593 km (369 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 6 hr 40 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +22% 1.22 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 89 km/h (55 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 306° (northwest) leaving Madrid toward Santiago de Compostela |
| Midpoint | 41.6753° N, 6.0729° W in Losacino (Zamora) |
| Halfway by road | In Cebrones del Río (León) 297 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Santiago de Compostela: 244 m (801 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Santiago de Compostela: 100,965 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Santiago de Compostela by road
The fastest driving route is 593 km (369 mi) long and takes about 6 hr 40 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-6 (416 km), the AP-6 (70.1 km), and the A-54 (64.2 km).
It goes through 3 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (55.6 km), Castile and León (379 km), and Galicia (159 km). That’s an average of 89 km/h (55 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 3 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 7 hr 40 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 Santiago de Compostela are 488 km (303 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 22% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 122. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 40 Spanish pairs in this series, it ranks 21st for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Santiago de Compostela lies to the northwest (bearing 306°), and from Santiago de Compostela, Madrid lies to the southeast. The straight line reaches Santiago de Compostela on a bearing of 302°: 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 Santiago de Compostela
Halfway along the straight line, 244 km (152 mi) from each city, is the point 41.6753° N, 6.0729° W. It falls in Losacino (Zamora, pop. 189). The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Zamora (pop. 59,815), 33.2 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 297 km (184 mi) from each city, in Cebrones del Río (León, pop. 439). The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is San Andrés del Rabanedo (León, pop. 29,944), 43.6 km away. The two midpoints are 67.0 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 Santiago de Compostela at 244 m (801 ft), 401 m (1,316 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Santiago de Compostela 100,965 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela?
488 km (303 mi) in a straight line and 593 km (369 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-6 and the AP-6).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Santiago de Compostela?
About 6 hr 40 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 3 stops of 20 minutes, about 7 hr 40 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Santiago de Compostela?
In a straight line, in Losacino (Zamora). By road, 297 km from each city, in Cebrones del Río (León).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Santiago de Compostela?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Santiago de Compostela sits at 244 m (801 ft).
Which direction is Santiago de Compostela from Madrid?
Northwest: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 306° (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 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
- Madrid to León 288 km straight line · 338 km by road · 3 hr 50 min
- 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
More distances from Santiago de Compostela
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