New York to Washington, DC distance
New York and Washington, DC are 204 miles (329 km) apart in a straight line and 227 miles (365 km) apart by road: about 4 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 227 mi (365 km)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 204 mi (329 km)
- 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 | 204 mi (329 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 227 mi (365 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +11% 1.11 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 47 mph (75 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 233° (southwest) leaving New York toward Washington, DC |
| Midpoint | 39.8147° N, 75.5411° W near Arden (Delaware) |
| Halfway by road | Near Auburn (New Jersey) 113 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | New York: 35 ft (11 m) · Washington, DC: 24 ft (7 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | New York: 8,584,629 · Washington, DC: 693,645 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
New York to Washington, DC by road
The fastest driving route is 227 miles (365 km) long and takes about 4 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-95 (95.9 mi), the New Jersey Turnpike (50.8 mi), and MD 295 (27.1 mi).
It goes through 3 states and Washington, DC: New Jersey (115 mi), Delaware (16.6 mi), Maryland (85.9 mi), and Washington, DC (6.4 mi). That’s an average of 47 mph (75 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr 30 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, New York and Washington, DC are 204 miles (329 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 11% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 111. The route runs almost straight. Of the 40 US pairs in this series, it ranks 24th for detour (the average is 14%).
From New York, Washington, DC lies to the southwest (bearing 233°), and from Washington, DC, New York lies to the northeast.
Halfway between New York and Washington, DC
Halfway along the straight line, 102 miles (164 km) from each city, is the point 39.8147° N, 75.5411° W. It falls near Arden (Delaware, pop. 442), 2.8 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 113 miles (183 km) from each city, near Auburn (New Jersey, pop. 1,100), 5.0 mi away. The two midpoints are 10.2 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
New York and Washington, DC share the same time all year: both are on Eastern Time.
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
New York and Washington, DC sit at almost the same elevation: 35 ft (11 m) and 24 ft (7 m).
New York has 8.6 million people and Washington, DC 693,645 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from New York to Washington, DC?
204 miles (329 km) in a straight line and 227 miles (365 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike).
How long is the drive from New York to Washington, DC?
About 4 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 30 min.
Where is the halfway point between New York and Washington, DC?
In a straight line, near Arden (Delaware). By road, 113 mi from each city, near Auburn (New Jersey).
Are New York and Washington, DC in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Eastern Time all year.
Which direction is Washington, DC from New York?
Southwest: the straight line leaves New York on a bearing of 233° (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 New York
All distances- New York to Philadelphia 80.6 mi straight line · 94.1 mi by road · 2 hr 5 min
- New York to Miami 1,089 mi straight line · 1,279 mi by road · 24 hr 10 min
- New York to Atlanta 746 mi straight line · 880 mi by road · 16 hr 55 min
- New York to Orlando 938 mi straight line · 1,076 mi by road · 20 hr 25 min
- New York to Toronto 345 mi straight line · 478 mi by road · 9 hr 55 min
- New York to Los Angeles 2,451 mi straight line · 2,794 mi by road · 49 hr 45 min
More distances from Washington, DC
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)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- 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