Madrid to Zaragoza distance
Madrid and Zaragoza are 274 km (170 mi) apart in a straight line and 315 km (196 mi) apart by road: about 3 hr 30 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-2. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 315 km (196 mi)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Straight line
- 274 km (170 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 | 274 km (170 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 315 km (196 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 30 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +15% 1.15 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 89 km/h (56 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 59° (northeast) leaving Madrid toward Zaragoza |
| Midpoint | 41.0462° N, 2.2978° W near Luzón (Guadalajara) |
| Halfway by road | Near Medinaceli (Soria) 157 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Zaragoza: 210 m (689 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Zaragoza: 693,091 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Zaragoza by road
The fastest driving route is 315 km (196 mi) long and takes about 3 hr 30 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on the A-2: 298 km of 315 km.
It goes through 4 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (40.4 km), Castilla–La Mancha (99.4 km), Castile and León (39.8 km), and Aragon (135 km). That’s an average of 89 km/h (56 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 3 hr 50 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 Zaragoza are 274 km (170 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 15% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 115. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 40 Spanish pairs in this series, it ranks 37th for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Zaragoza lies to the northeast (bearing 59°), and from Zaragoza, Madrid lies to the southwest.
Halfway between Madrid and Zaragoza
Halfway along the straight line, 137 km (85.0 mi) from each city, is the point 41.0462° N, 2.2978° W. It falls near Luzón (Guadalajara, pop. 50), 2.8 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Calatayud (Zaragoza, pop. 20,158), 64.7 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 157 km (97.8 mi) from each city, near Medinaceli (Soria, pop. 686), 5.8 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Soria (pop. 41,025), 62.7 km away. The two midpoints are 18.6 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 Zaragoza at 210 m (689 ft), 435 m (1,427 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Zaragoza 693,091 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Zaragoza?
274 km (170 mi) in a straight line and 315 km (196 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-2).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Zaragoza?
About 3 hr 30 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Zaragoza?
In a straight line, near Luzón (Guadalajara). By road, 157 km from each city, near Medinaceli (Soria).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Zaragoza?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Zaragoza sits at 210 m (689 ft).
Which direction is Zaragoza from Madrid?
Northeast: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 59° (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 Málaga 415 km straight line · 535 km by road · 6 hr 5 min
- Madrid to Bilbao 322 km straight line · 397 km by road · 4 hr 25 min
- Madrid to Alicante 360 km straight line · 420 km by road · 4 hr 35 min
- 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
More distances from Zaragoza
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