Seattle to Vancouver distance
Seattle and Vancouver are 119 miles (192 km) apart in a straight line and 140 miles (226 km) apart by road: about 3 hr of driving without stops, mostly on I-5 and Highway 99. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the Mapsfera Team
- By road
- 140 mi (226 km)
- Driving time
- 3 hr
- Straight line
- 119 mi (192 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 | 119 mi (192 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 140 mi (226 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +18% 1.18 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 47 mph (76 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 343° (north) leaving Seattle toward Vancouver |
| Midpoint | 48.4287° N, 122.7193° W near Whidbey Island Station (Washington) |
| Halfway by road | Near Bow (Washington) 70.1 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Population | Seattle: 784,777 · Vancouver: 662,248 Census Bureau estimate for 2025; GeoNames |
Seattle to Vancouver by road
The fastest driving route is 140 miles (226 km) long and takes about 3 hr without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-5 (111 mi) and Highway 99 (24.1 mi).
Of the 140 mi, 110 mi are in the United States and 28.6 mi are in Canada. That’s an average of 47 mph (76 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 3 hr 20 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, Seattle and Vancouver are 119 miles (192 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 18% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 118. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 10 cross-border pairs in this series, it has the smallest detour (the average is 31%).
From Seattle, Vancouver lies to the north (bearing 343°), and from Vancouver, Seattle lies to the south.
Halfway between Seattle and Vancouver
Halfway along the straight line, 59.6 miles (95.9 km) from each city, is the point 48.4287° N, 122.7193° W. It falls in the water; the closest place is Whidbey Island Station (Washington, pop. 2,027), 6.3 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Victoria (British Columbia, Canada, pop. 289,625), 29.1 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 70.1 miles (113 km) from each city, near Bow (Washington, pop. 585), 2.9 mi away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Abbotsford British Columbia (British Columbia, Canada, pop. 141,397), 35.9 mi away. The two midpoints are 18.6 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Seattle and Vancouver share the same time all year: both are on Pacific 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
Seattle has 784,777 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025) and Vancouver 662,248 people (GeoNames).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Seattle to Vancouver?
119 miles (192 km) in a straight line and 140 miles (226 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-5 and Highway 99).
How long is the drive from Seattle to Vancouver?
About 3 hr without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 3 hr 20 min.
Where is the halfway point between Seattle and Vancouver?
In a straight line, in the water, near Whidbey Island Station (Washington). By road, 70.1 mi from each city, near Bow (Washington).
Are Seattle and Vancouver in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Which direction is Vancouver from Seattle?
North: the straight line leaves Seattle on a bearing of 343° (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 Seattle
All distancesSources
- 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)
- Location and population of cities outside Spain and the US · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
- 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